


Am I Dying Tomorrow?

by Dobiedobes



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Third Choice, pricefield
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-20 02:38:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11326929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dobiedobes/pseuds/Dobiedobes
Summary: Max is faced with the choice: the love of her life or the people of Arcadia. She won't let the Universe force her to choose. Max will forge her own path.*This is a kind of 'third choice' story because the binary thing just didn't sit well with me. Hella Pricefield, shaka brah.





	1. The Choice

This is a playlist I had running while writing this fic. Most of it captures a lot of the feelings Max and Chloe have for each other, along with a handful of other tracks that relate to some of the events and themes in the story. Enjoy!

 

The entire Koethe catalog

The Receiving End of Sirens “Epilogue”

Alkaline Trio “I’m Dying Tomorrow”

Lauv “Breathe”

Circa Survive “Schema”

Brand New “Tautou”

Blackbear “Idfc”

My Chemical Romance “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)”

SMNM “Baby Girl”

Modest Mouse “Float On”

Steve James “Warrior (feat. LIGHTS)”

Florence + The Machine “Cosmic Love”

 

* * *

  
  


“No, Max. You’re the only one who can.”

 

Max looks at Chloe longingly, but with sadness in her eyes.  _ I don’t believe that. Why am I the one who has to make this decision? _

 

“Chloe… I’m so, so sorry. I don’t want to do this.”  _ You’re my everything, my entire life. I don’t want to give you up. I’ve bled and cried for you, I’ve watched you die so many, many times. _

 

They embrace with a fleeting hug.  _ I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to choose. _

 

“I know, Max. But we have to. We have to save everybody, okay? Being together this week, it was the best farewell gift I could have hoped for. You’re my hero, Max.”  _ This can’t be farewell, it just can’t. _

 

Max closes the distance between them, cupping Chloe’s face in her hands and their lips connect in a tender, prolonged kiss. Max slowly pulls away from the caress and takes a step back.

 

“I’ll always love you. Now get out of here, please! Do it before I freak.” Chloe begins to back away from Max, anguish written all over her eyes. She hands Max the photograph that she has been clinging to as if her life depends on it because it does.

 

“And Max Caulfield? Don’t you forget about me.”

 

“Never.” Max gazes defiantly, acknowledging the ramifications for Chloe when time is rewound.

 

She lifts the butterfly photograph and stares at it, dripping with rain from the tempest roaring around them.

 

Max has had enough.

 

_ I choose to sacrifice Chloe and what? Everyone at Blackwell is saved, all the residents of Arcadia Bay live. I spend the rest of my life with a gaping hole in my chest because the person I spent an entire week warping time for is gone. Forever. _

 

The sea spray mists around Max.

 

_ I choose Chloe over the Bay and everyone in Arcadia dies from a tornado that shouldn’t even logically exist? I have to live with the guilt for the rest of my life that anyone who dies during this disaster is dead because of me and my stupid time-traveling powers. _

 

In the distance, the tornado is cutting into the coast and sending building materials in every direction.

 

_ I saved Kate from jumping. I saved Victoria from Jefferson. Nathan was killed because we didn't find him fast enough. Alyssa was saved how many times? I prevented Chloe from being shot three times and run over by a train. What does it all mean? All of the pain, the suffering… for nothing if I don't photo jump to where I shot the butterfly? _

 

The wind is heaving Max forward and shoving her away, a reflection of the madness tearing apart her insides right now.

 

_ If I do jump… the love of my life, my reason for living… ceases to exist. And I have to watch it and live with that for the rest of my life. That I accepted my fate and passed on the one real chance I have to make things right with Chloe. To make up for my absence and be a real friend and more to her. Those five years I was gone without a single phone call or letter must have been terrible for her. I was such a shitty person and there's no excuse for what I did. All I can do is make things better from here on out. _

 

_ No. No. NO. I refuse to accept these as my only choices. Save Chloe or save Arcadia Bay? Fuck. That. _

 

Max whirls around and strides over to Chloe, who looks mortified at what’s to come, she doesn’t understand what’s about to happen. Max’s focus becomes razor sharp as she grips Chloe’s hand with a strength she didn’t know she possessed. With her other hand, she holds up the selfie Warren took of the two of them during the End of the World party. Max reminds herself to ensure that she gets her own copy of the selfie when the two of them pose. She channels all of her willpower into gripping the polaroid with her mind.

 

_ There has to be a better point where I can change things and not have it end up as a choice between Chloe and the Bay. I’ve already used this photo some half-dozen times to deal with Jefferson and the tornado. I don’t know if this is going to work, but like hell am I gonna leave her behind to the storm while I do this. I’ve left her behind too many times already. _

 

The gales of time buffet against her very soul and she pushes back with everything she has - rage, fear, uncertainty,  _ love _ ,  _ power. _

 

Max thinks about all of her terrible alternate moments with Chloe. Helping her commit assisted suicide while in an agony-ridden, paralyzed body. Witnessing her murder at the hands of Nathan from a gunshot to the abdomen. A smoking bullet hole in the temple from a vengeful Jefferson. Then her memory drifts to scenes of joy. Dancing together in Chloe’s room without a care in the world. Breaking into the Blackwell pool at night and swimming as sharks and otters.  _ Kissing Chloe on a dare and seeing the utter blissful surprise painted all over her face. _

 

Rivulets of red start trickling out of her mouth, nostrils, eyes, and down her forehead as she continues to fight the forces that stand to rip her to shreds if she loses this elemental battle. She is a gruesome sight, like something out of a terrible car accident or a horror movie.

 

Max is shaking with pain and fire while fighting an unbelievable current with all of her might, searching for her anchor.  When she realizes she already has it.

 

_ Chloe. _

 

Chloe is in a trance-like state as Max manipulates their position in time but slowly begins to regain consciousness and turn her head to face the girl who has her hand in a crushing grip. Chloe’s eyes go wide as she sees the effects of using her powers this ferociously.

 

“Holy shit,  _ Max.” _ Chloe’s mouth is agape with shock and terror.

 

A storm is raging all around them as Max grits her teeth and more blood seeps out. “Do not. Let. Go. Of. Me. I need you, Chloe. I need your strength.”

 

Chloe is terrified at the thought of losing Max after all they’ve endured. After all  _ Max _ has endured to get this far. After all of the times she has saved Chloe’s life in multiple realities. She sees the toll this is taking, but she also sees the determination in Max’s eyes, the sheer force of will.

 

“Take it, it’s yours,” she says without hesitation.

 

Chloe feels warmth surging through her body. She is a conduit of energy and her life force collides and mingles with Max’s. 

 

Max’s mind flails through the turbulent sea, desperately searching for something to grasp when she’s hit with the intensity of Chloe’s spirit. She feels reinvigorated and firmly lays a hand on a lone rock. It’s sturdy, it’s solid. It gives her purchase to ride out the fury of this maelstrom.

 

The image in the photo moves in and out of focus as the temporal storm dissipates and the atmospheric electricity eases; everything fades to white.

  
  


A snapping sound echoes in Chloe’s ears and she can feel her hand burning from the fierceness of Max’s squeeze. She immediately fixates on the white-bordered square being ejected from the camera in Warren’s hands.

 

_ Fuck, Max did it! She brought both of us through the photo. Unbelievable! _

 

Chloe does a quick fist pump as she sneaks a glance at Max before Warren has a chance to face her. Her eyes grow wide with fear.  _ Oh shit oh shit, Max still looks totally fucked up like when we were at the lighthouse. _

 

For better or worse, Max loses her balance and collapses from fatigue, offering Chloe an opportunity to maneuver and cradle Max in her arms, away from the gaze of Warren.

 

“Maximillion… talk to me.” Chloe swallows roughly. She’s fixated on the blood that is continuing to trickle out of Max’s orifices.

 

Max croaks out a response. “We are going to save our friends and your family. Fuck the choices. I’m making a new one.”

 

_ Choices?  _ “What do we do?”

 

“We are going to get in your truck and find everyone.  _ No one _ gets left behind.” Max stresses those words because of the memories that haunt her. Victims that have come and gone in realities past and present, like Rachel, Kate, Victoria, and Chloe.

 

“Did you… did you jump us both through that photo, Max?”

 

Max swallows a mouthful of blood. “I did. We’re sharing this, you and I. I can’t do it without you, so please don’t let go of me.”

 

Chloe had previously felt desperately helpless and at the mercy of so many other circumstances that caused her nothing but pain and anguish. She now has a sense of control, of purpose. She feels something in her heart, a connection with Max that is giving her an indescribable reaction.

 

“Uh… ladies? Is this a moment I shouldn’t be interrupting or something?” Warren is slightly slurring his words and his confusion at the sudden change of atmosphere is further compounded by his intoxication.

 

“It’s cool, bro. Max wanted to do some pre-drinking and hit the bottle a little too hard. We just need a minute, I’ll keep an eye on her.” Chloe cringes, it’s extremely out of character for Max to drink anything other than fruit juice and water, it’s sure to raise some red flags with Warren. 

 

Chloe quickly adds, “It’s the end of the world, dude! Everyone’s getting fucked up, right?”

 

That seems to satisfy Warren as he responds with a “yeah-hah!” and staggers away.

 

_ Oh shit,  _ the selfie.  _ I need that, it’s a linchpin that’s saved my ass how many times now? _ Max is frantic.

 

“Chloe...you need to get that photo from Warren. I’m in no condition to take another one for us to keep.” Max sits herself up, some of the blood drying on her cheeks and forehead.

 

“Ok, I’ll do my best. Are you gonna be ok here by yourself?” 

 

“Yeah, I’m just going to sit for a little bit by that tree.” Max pulls herself up laboriously and lumbers over to the nearest one, releasing a long breath of air.

 

Chloe doesn't take stock of her surroundings until now when forced to confront them. There is a limit to where she can go and how far.  _ Are we in the picture?  _ She sees Warren heading towards a void that looks like the distorted edges of a burned photograph.

 

Quickly, Chloe shouts, “Dude! Warren! You got a minute?” She runs over to him.

 

Warren is shocked out of his fuddled state at the sound of Chloe’s voice.

 

Breathing heavily, Chloe asks, “Do you mind if Max hangs on to that selfie?”

 

“...Why?” Warren looks at her quizzically.

 

A dozen different excuses fly through Chloe’s mind and she fumbles the response, her high state of nerves getting the best of her.

 

“Because... she wants it?”

 

“We can take another shot later for her, let’s meet up inside!”

 

_ Shit, I need Max. If I just try and grab it from him, he’ll chase after me. I don’t want to screw this up for her. But she’s in no state to be using her powers. Fuck fuck fuck. _

 

Desperately, she says, “Warren, I don’t really have a lot of time to go into this right now. But can you believe me when I say that it’s hella important she hangs on to that selfie?”

 

Warren shrugs his shoulders and hands over the polaroid. “I guess we’ll just get another one later that I can keep, right?”

 

Chloe in mid run shouts, “You got it!” and sprints back to Max slumped under the tree.

 

“MAX!” Chloe lifts her head up to stare into heavy-lidded eyes. 

 

Max cracks a smile, her teeth stained with blood. “Did you get it?”

 

“It’s right here.” Chloe clutches it in her hand and holds Max with her other one. “C’mon, we need to get you somewhere safe where you can recover a little. We have a lot of work ahead of us if we want to do this right with minimal use of your powers.”

 

Abruptly, Max chokes out, “Chloe, I’m sorry for what I did at the lighthouse.”

 

“Max, don’t you ever apologize for something like that. You’re putting your health and body on the line to use your powers like this, I can see what it’s doing to you. Don’t you dare die on me and make this decision become your grave.”

 

“Ok. Chlo, you need to call David. Get him to your house so we can explain everything about Nathan and Jefferson.”

 

Chloe pulls out her phone, staring at the screen without blinking and thumbs the keys with fierce desperation.

 

The edges of the void begin to come closer and closer to Chloe and Max as their vision fades to white.

 

* * *

 

Max slowly opens her eyes. She’s in Chloe’s bedroom. She’s dizzy with pain when she has the realization.

 

_ Did we change that moment with Warren enough to give us the chance to save everyone? To keep Chloe alive?  _

 

White-hot agony sears her brain and she grabs at her temples.

 

_ Is this the beginning of a brain hemorrhage or something? I’m punishing my body way more with this kind of a jump than when I pressed upon the edges of rewinding those shorter moments or using my polaroids - am I going to kill myself doing this to save the people of Arcadia? To save Joyce, David, Kate, Warren, and everyone else? I’m not. Losing. Chloe. Again.  _

 

_ I said ‘fuck that’ and I mean exactly fuck that. I’ll be damned if I let the Universe make me choose between Chloe and the people of Arcadia Bay. I can jump Chloe and me through photographs!  _ Max writhes in pain on the bed.  _ If my body is the only thing that can stop me from rescuing everyone, so be it. I do this until I collapse and hope my spirit animal is there to keep me from dying. It’s worked before on those automatic VCR pauses where I was seconds away from death, so why not now? _

 

Max can hear arguing through the floor.

 

_ Chloe remembers this conversation. I hope she remembers all the right things to say to convince David to go out  _ there  _ and take care of Jefferson. _

 

There’s shouting, swearing. There’s no goodwill with David after having gotten him kicked out of the house and calling him on his stalker-esque behaviors, like security cameras and campus interrogations.

 

Chloe storms upstairs and back into her bedroom where Max is curled with the blankets, grimacing in pain.

 

Careless urgency got the best of her in her argument with David. “I don’t know exactly what I said last time -” Chloe freezes when she sees the look on Max’s face. “Oh fuck, Max… are you ok?”

 

She runs over to the bed and cradles Max.

 

“I’m… better than before, just in pain.”

 

“I fucking hate myself right now, but I couldn’t get David to go out and investigate the farm to arrest Jefferson. I can’t bring myself to ask this, but can we -”

 

“- Rewind?”Max swallows. “ I think it will be easier than a photo jump, Chlo. Hold my hand and help me concentrate.” 

 

With no concern for her own well-being, Max closes her eyes and thinks of her anchor and her rock. She feels the pressure build in her head, she becomes detached from the blood seeping out of her nostrils and ears and scalp. Max opens her eyes and looks at the alarm clock next to Chloe’s bed. About one hour in the past. Chloe curls up into a ball as the pain washes over her.

 

“Fuck, Max, I’m sorry. I’m gonna do this right, I promise.”

 

Max’s blood is seeping into the sheets and leaving dark stains where her face is buried. It’s a wet kind of warm, but it’s somehow comforting to her.

 

Chloe goes over the entire conversation in her head and thinks about every possible comment that sets David off. She’s going to leave out the step-douche comments, the cameras, and the controlling behavior. She reminds herself that  _ David saved Max from Jefferson. Don’t you ever forget that for a second.  _ This is about preventing more Rachels, more Kates, and more Maxes -  _ put that fucking psychopath behind bars _ . 

 

Chloe turns off the attitude that has become like a second skin for her over these painful years without her father (her  _ real  _ father) and marches downstairs to explain to David just how right he was to be paranoid; just paranoid about the wrong people.

 

Max continues to sniffle into Chloe’s sheets and beats herself up for making such a mess.  _ I brought this fucking tornado. I let Chloe die time and again. I fucked this up.  _ I fucked this up. _ I’m not gonna ruin this again. Chloe and I will be together and we will save our friends and family. Together. _

 

Her head starts to spin.  _ Is this blood loss going to give me permanent damage? Is this going to hurt me more and more every time I jump or rewind with Chloe? _

 

Thoughts start racing through her head. Gunshots and lifeless stares. 

 

_ Stop. STOP. I will not lose Chloe again.  _ I will not lose Chloe again.  _ If I can bring her with me, she’s fucking coming with me. End. Of. Story. I will tear this goddamned Universe apart for Chloe.  _

 

Chloe has always been a piece of this puzzle, one way or another. One piece is enhanced powers that apparently let Max move other people through space-time. Or maybe it’s only Chloe that can move with her? Isn’t it supposed to be like in the movies, where a time traveler has to be careful not to run into their past self?

 

_ No, I don’t think it works like that. Somehow I’m replacing the Max and Chloe in that moment with us, wherever and whenever we go. Or we’re merging? I don’t know. I’m not a physicist. I’m not going to try and hash this out with my rudimentary understanding of this kind of science anyway. _

 

Chloe tromps back up the stairs with a satisfied grin on her face but immediately tries to dial it back in Max’s presence. She knows that David is making a beeline for the police station right now to explain the situation with as much detail as Chloe was able to relay from her and Max’s experience with the Dark Room. She’s confronted with the blood. So much blood. The grin is completely wiped from Chloe’s face now.

 

_ Did all that blood come from Max’s face?? _ Chloe rushes over and turns Max so she can see the damage firsthand.

 

“Jesus fuck, Max. We need to take you to the hospital. Like  _ now _ . “ She’s direly insistent and deadly serious. Very un-Chloe like, but given the situation, entirely warranted. 

 

Max’s face looks like someone took a paint roller and smeared it up and down her forehead, nose, and lips. But Chloe knows it isn’t fucking paint.

 

“Max, I really think you need like an IV or something… hook you up to a blood bag? I’m obviously not a doctor, but that’s a shitload of blood all over my sheets.”

 

Max coughs. “I’m sorry about your sheets, dude.”

 

“No no no, don’t you even start with that ‘sorry’ shit. You’re totally fucking yourself up to keep us together. That’s something you’re never allowed to say ‘sorry’ for. I absolutely forbid it. Can you walk with help, or should I carry you? You need a doctor.  _ Like fucking yesterday. _ ” 

 

_ Please don’t die, Max. Please don’t die. I will never forgive myself for letting you make this decision. I should have just thrown myself off that fucking cliff. _

 

Chloe takes a breath and leans in to let Max put her arm around her for support. Max weakly moves off the bed and shuffles over to her clothes.

 

“I probably shouldn’t go out in these super lame pj’s, right?” She smiles feebly.

 

“Let’s get you cleaned up a bit and change into something a little more presentable, ok? But quickly. If you fucking die on me, so help me…” Chloe grabs a loose towel from a hangar and gently dabs at Max’s face, attempting to remove their reminder that time travel is gravely wounding a superheroine.

 

Chloe helps Max out of her sleepwear as gently as possible and gets her into jeans and a t-shirt. 

 

“To the hospital with us.  _ Now _ .” 

 

“Grab your Dad’s camera first. We need an insurance policy in case something happens.”

 

Chloe does her best to move slow enough to guide Max as she staggers, but with enough distress because every minute that passes not being in the hospital is making her agonizingly anxious.

 

The ride to the hospital is restrained, like Max and Chloe both have confessions they’re hurting to make, but are fearful of verbalizing and putting out in the open. Chloe takes the plunge first.

 

“You said it after we jumped through Warren’s photo - ‘fuck the choices.’ What were you talking about?”

 

“I feel like the Universe is trying to get me to sacrifice something. Either you or Arcadia Bay. To which I say ‘fuck that.’ I didn’t ask for these powers. They were given to me. There’s a tornado coming and the person I’m with,” Max brushes Chloe’s hand, “is the most important thing in my life. I would seriously move mountains for you, Chloe. I really would.” Max stares intently at Chloe’s profile. “But if there is even the smallest chance that I can prevent all of our friends and your family from being hurt by the tornado, I’m taking that chance.”

 

Chloe’s heart swells upon hearing Max’s words. She’s never felt this way about anyone in her entire life and she refuses to let this feeling go. But at the same time…

 

“Max, I love you so much. As a person and for what you’re doing. But you’re destroying your body to make this happen. If this kills you, I’ll never forgive myself. Maybe it would have been better to just jump to where it all began and let nature take its course.”

 

“No!” Max cries frantically. “No. I refuse. I absolutely, fucking refuse. I have been through Hell to keep you alive, Chloe. I’m not about to throw that all away. This has to mean something.” Max points down, emphasizing the here and now while saying, “It has to. I was given these powers for a reason at a time when I hadn’t seen you for five years. I don’t believe for a second that there isn’t a connection there.”

 

“I’m not denying that, Max. But what if I was just a trigger for your powers and ultimately your powers are meant for something more?”

 

“I wish this shit came with an instruction manual, I really do. But all I know is how I feel, Chloe. I’m not giving that up again. I’m gonna do my best to make sure everything works out for as many people as I can manage, but if I have to make that choice again, you know what I’ll choose.”

 

Chloe nods in understanding, but fearful of the consequences. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

 

_ I feel like this might be my only chance all day to make use of this calm a moment. _

 

Max smashes her lips into Chloe’s with reckless abandon, completely disregarding the fact that there is an automobile being operated on a public road in need of undivided attention. She kisses Chloe with a passion and desperation that feels like a last embrace.


	2. Kate

#  Kate

 

The pair pull into the parking lot of Arcadia Bay General Hospital. 

 

“I don’t want to think about what this place is gonna look like tonight.” Max tries to put it out of her mind, but it lingers. It’s a reminder that she needs to do whatever it takes to convince everyone she can to save themselves.

 

The somber tone brings Chloe down a few notches from the intensity in the truck.

 

“We’re gonna do this, Super-Max. We’re gonna save everyone we can.” Chloe fixes her gaze on Max. “Hey, um… what do we tell the hospital? I’m guessing ‘I injured myself while time-traveling’ is out of the question.”

 

“I’m pretty sure we can get away with just giving them a couple of symptoms - fatigued and having a lot of headaches - and that will be enough to get me hooked up to something. I’m not fond of the severe bleeding, but humans can lose a few pints of blood before it’s like really serious, I think.”

 

“Don’t talk like that, dude. I don’t want to hear you guessing about how much you can bleed out from rewinds and photo jumps with me before you die from exsing-”

 

“Ex _ sang _ uination. I looked that one up, too.”

 

“Ugh, nerd.”

 

_ We need to get to Kate. _

 

“Kate’s here, Chlo. We need to get her out of the hospital, it won’t be safe.”

 

“Do you think we’ll be able to convince her to leave?”

 

“She trusted me before and she’s going to trust me now. I have to believe.”

 

The two walk in to locate Outpatient Services. Max gives some vaguely semi-serious sounding symptoms like they rehearsed outside the hospital and is admitted within the hour. She snaps a photo with the Polaroid 600 when they enter the Outpatient suite.

 

“We can’t waste all day here. I’ve got my IV, so let’s go.” Max begins gathering her clothes and shrugs off the patient gown while unhooking the plastic bag of solution.

 

Chloe can’t help but stare. “Max, when this is all over…”

 

Max bares her back to Chloe, but she looks over her shoulder. “Yes?”

 

Chloe chokes on her words. “Uhh…”

 

Max groans, “Well there goes  _ that  _ moment, smooth talker.”

 

“You know you love it.”

 

“I kinda sorta do, yeah. You always did have a way with words.” Max finishes dressing and grabs Chloe’s hand.

 

Max mentally wraps her fingers around the rock and shores herself up with Chloe as her pillar. She pushes the rewind gently and evenly, but with more force than she normally would, now that she has a passenger. The pain is more routine this time; still worse than when she reaches the edges of a rewind, but less than what it felt like to photo jump yesterday.

 

Still, the blood doesn’t relent. The rewind stops and like this morning, there is a line of blood running from the corners of her eyes, the edges of her lips, and the canals of her ears.

 

Chloe quickly grabs some tissue from the nightstand and dabs at Max’s wounds. 

 

“I need to make sure I don’t do this too often.”

 

“You can say that again, Maximus. How does it feel, this time?”

 

“It still hurts, but it’s like if you’re inflicted with the same kind of pain, again and again, your body gets kind of used to it?”

 

Flashes of Jefferson’s Dark Room overtake her. The struggle, being taped to the chair. A lunatic eyeing his prey, biding his time for that perfect moment - the loss of innocence that he so desperately craves to freeze in time with a photograph.

 

Max dry heaves as she confronts those true nightmares.

 

“Max -” Chloe squeezes her hand for reassurance.

 

“I’m - ok. I’m ok. Just some bad images in my mind.”

 

“Talk to me, Max. Get it out if you need to.”

 

Max’s mouth is dry. “It’s… Jefferson. I’m seeing images from my time in the Dark Room yesterday.”

 

Chloe pulls Max into her chest and runs painted fingernails through bobbed locks of brunette hair.

 

“He’s gone. He’s never going to do that again to anyone. You stopped him, Max.  _ You _ .”

 

Small tear droplets mix with the remnants of blood not taken by the tissue.  _ But he already did that to so many people. _

 

“We need to get to Kate.”

 

* * *

 

Max is sure to conceal her IV set up in a jacket she drapes around her arm, with the nutrient bag resting comfortably in the shoulder bag she takes everywhere. After a few white lies to explain to the hospital staff what the two of them are doing wandering the Outpatient Suite, Max and Chloe make it to Kate’s room. 

 

Max gently knocks on the door and turns the knob; her other hand makes contact with Chloe’s and her muscles tense. Brown eyes meet blue eyes and a slight smile escapes both of their lips.

 

A familiar sight greets them - Kate is again working on some drawings for her children’s picture book when she looks up and sees her friend in the doorway. Kate’s eyes drift over to Chloe’s shocking blue hair trying to escape a beanie.

 

“Oh wow… Max, what a surprise! I had no idea you were coming! You look… a little under the weather. Are you ok?”

 

Max grips her bag and brings it a little closer towards herself. “Yeah, Kate, this week has been rough, I might be coming down with something.”

 

“You can say that again. Come on in and sit down! Who’s your friend?”

 

Upon hearing the word  _ friend _ Chloe and Max exchange a look and their chests tighten.

 

“This… is Chloe. She’s been my friend since we were little. Chloe, this is Kate.”

 

Chloe recalls waiting out in the hallway the other day while Max checked up on her and responds with an awkward wave. “Hi.”

 

The two shuffle in and take comfortable positions - Chloe in a chair near the window and Max at the foot of the bed - considering how best to broach the subject.   _ Start with some small talk _ .

 

Max clears her throat. “Making more progress on that awesome children’s book?”

 

“Yeah, it’s really coming along. I’m so happy to be drawing more positive things now. All thanks to you, Max.” A genuine smile, a trademark Kate look, leaves her lips. “The anti-bullying message is taking shape. I think it’s something my whole family can be proud of.” 

 

In Max’s mind, the idea of Kate’s ‘whole family’ evokes the scathing fire and brimstone religious letter from her mother. She stays optimistic though, given that everyone is rallying around Kate for a full recovery. The letter she remembers reading from Kate’s father was so heartfelt that there is no denying the love that is being sent her way.

 

Kate leans in and lowers her voice. “How’s the ‘mission’ going?”

 

“I…” Max stops herself.  _ Exactly how much should I tell her?  _ “Nathan isn’t an issue anymore.”  _ Because he’s dead. Jefferson killed him and also put perverse photos of you in a binder marked with your name. I saw it all and even had my own experience with Jefferson’s sociopathy.  _ “He won’t be doing what he did ever again.” A tear leaves Max’s eye as she thinks of the needle that pierced her neck, the feelings of helplessness and terror.  _ What would have happened if those photos weren’t there in front of me? _

 

Max can’t wipe the tear away fast enough before Kate notices it. “Max…?”

 

“It’s… ok. I’m ok, Kate. It’s better if you don’t ask for details.” 

 

Chloe shifts like she’s ready to comfort Max, but hesitates.  _ She says she’s ok... all I want to do is hold her, but I don’t want to turn this into a thing. It might make it worse. _

 

“I’ll tell you all about what’s going through my head as soon as we weather this storm.”  _ What a perfect segue _ , Max thinks to herself. “Which kind of brings us to the big reason we’re here today.”

 

That catches Kate’s undivided attention, as she lays down her pencil and notebook. “Big reason?” She looks on, curious.

 

Max turns to Chloe, unsure of how to proceed, now that she’s introduced the topic.

 

Chloe starts, “This is going to sound kind of weird…”

 

Max chimes in, “...but you remember the strange weather we’ve been having? The double moon last night?”

 

Kate nods. “How could I forget? I don’t think anyone’s given much of an explanation for any of that. I wonder if they’re somehow signs from God. Revelations mentions unusual, unexplainable events like those as demonstrations of His wonder.”

 

“I don’t know much about the religious stuff, Kate, but I think those are just the beginning of really bad things to come.”

 

“What makes you think that?” The question makes Chloe noticeably uncomfortable in her seat.

 

_ I time traveled from the future and watched Arcadia Bay’s destruction at the hands of a tornado that very well may have been my fault. _ “It’s a very serious feeling I have, Kate. One that I’m positive of.”

 

Kate looks at Max, concerned. “You said you might be under the weather. Are you sure this isn’t just the flu talking? I know when I get really dehydrated I can start to think and see things that might sound a little bizarre.”

 

Max closes her eyes.  _ I need her to believe me. I really don’t want to have to rewind this. _ She takes in a lungful of air. “Remember how you trusted me back there on the roof? You understanding and believing that there are people out there who care about you. Friends and family. Well, now I’m asking you to trust me again. Because I really care about you, Kate. I want you to be healthy and happy. But for that to happen, you need to  _ live _ .”

 

“Live?”

 

“The thing that’s coming, it’s going to create terrible destruction and a lot of people are going to get hurt. You’re my friend and I want you out of harm’s way.”

 

“The thing?”

 

“A tornado. An incredible tornado that shouldn’t be possible, but it’s coming.”

 

“So you want me to trust you about… an impossible tornado that is coming to wreck Arcadia Bay?”

 

Max meets Kate’s eyes. “Yes.”

 

“A-am I supposed to pack up right now and leave with you?”

 

Max and Chloe look at each other.  _ There’s no telling what will happen later. _ “I think that would be best.”

 

“I don’t know about this, Max. I… really want to trust you. I trusted you with my life before and you saved it. You kept me from doing something rash. A decision that would have caused so much pain for so many people, not to mention me giving up on life. You’re basically my guardian angel. But this sounds like something way more biblical. What makes you so sure there’s a tornado coming? Wouldn’t that be all over the news if there was weather like that in the area?”

 

_ All very good points, Kate. I would expect nothing less from you. _ Max swallows and takes Kate’s hand. “Your  _ guardian angel  _ is asking you to have faith in her. She’s seen something and it’s enough to convince her that everyone she cares about is in danger.”

 

“Ok, Max. I believe you. Let me change out of my pajamas and get a few things. Would you two wait outside?”

 

* * *

 

Kate steps out of her room and gently shuts the door. She’s wearing a cardigan similar to the one from that fateful day when she stood on the Blackwell roof ledge. It’s mostly buttoned up this time, but the blouse is visible around her neckline. The gold cross is displayed prominently around her clavicle.

 

She looks up and down the white hallway. “I don’t really think I’m supposed to be leaving the hospital, but it’s not like I’m here against my will, either. So I think they’ll understand if I want to go out with a couple of my friends for a few hours. I feel kind of weird lying about this, though.”

 

“I’ll tell the lie, Kate. Give me your overnight bag. I’m the one who started this whole mess.”

 

They approach the Nurse’s Station and Kate smiles at the receptionist. “Hi, Fran. Some of my friends came to visit and they thought some fresh air would do me good.”

 

Max adds, “We’re just gonna take her for some tea and sunshine.”

 

Fran eyes the three of them. “Well, you’re on more of an Outpatient status at this point anyway, so I don’t see why not.” She takes a couple of chews of her gum. “Just sign out here and have fun, girls!”

 

The three stroll down the rest of the hallway to the elevator when Kate stops them. “Shouldn’t we be warning everyone about this storm?”

 

Max sighs. “While I totally agree with you, Kate, I don’t think anyone is going to believe us. It took me a while to convince you and you’re my friend. Imagine what it’ll be like for a hospital full of strangers.”

 

“I don’t know, Max. I don’t feel right leaving all these people to their fate while I get to walk out like this unscathed.”

 

Chloe pipes up after having remained silent for most of her time at the hospital. “They probably have a basement or some kind of storm shelter, right?”

 

“How about this, Kate? We go check with the security guard about their basement or storm shelter or whatever and pass along a little info about a really bad storm coming that we heard from our meteorological friend.”

 

“Look at you with the vocab, Marvelous Max,” Chloe smirks.  _ When all this is over... _

 

Kate looks satisfied. 

 

On the way out of Arcadia Bay General, the three find the Security Desk and proceed with their plan. The way Max and Chloe explain it sounds genuinely convincing and the guard promises to take some proactive measures to prepare for the oncoming storm.

 

Kate smiles at the pair. “I’m impressed with you two, we’re really saving lives here.” It would appear that Max has a full buy-in from Kate on the impending disaster. “Where do we go now?”

 

Chloe and Max look at each other. “Blackwell?” Max considers. “We’ll round up as many as we can who will believe us. Start with people like Brooke and Warren, go from there.”  _ Hopefully, we’ll convince them all like we did you, Kate. _

 

“Sounds like a plan!” Kate’s bright spirits lift everyone up, despite Max and Chloe knowing the full extent of the catastrophe that is set to descend upon Arcadia Bay later today.  _ Would Kate feel the same way if she knew how many lives were lost the last time this happened? _

 

Kate throws her overnight bag into the covered pickup bed of Chloe’s truck and joins the two of them to sandwich herself in the middle of the bench seat in the cab. The throaty growl of the engine starts at the turn of the key and they begin their drive to the school.


	3. Blackwell

#  Blackwell

 

The three pull into the parking lot of Blackwell Academy. It’s largely deserted, owing to the fact that classes were canceled in light of the week’s events regarding Kate’s attempted suicide. Remnants of last night’s party still litter the concrete.

 

Max, Chloe, and Kate step over fliers and discarded red party cups.  _ To think they couldn’t even restrain themselves from holding a party this close to what happened to Kate. Revolting.  _ Max shakes her head and looks over at Chloe. She has a determined look on her face, one that reminds her of how she felt at the lighthouse. Chloe recognizes this opportunity that Max has given them and doesn’t want to waste it.

 

“The dormitories?” Chloe inquires.

 

“That’s our best bet, I would guess.” Max agrees brightly. The IV seems to be doing the trick because she feels much more energetic and the color has returned to her face.

 

“Shaka brah.” Chloe concludes and they walk at a brisk pace in the direction of the student housing. They pass a handful of students that Max and Kate recognize only superficially. The students don’t pay the three much attention as they stroll by.

 

They reach the front of the building and see a few people tossing a football around.

 

“Most people are probably still sleeping or hungover from last night, I take it?” Max looks around inquisitively.

 

“Well, it’s time to wake them the fuck up, then.” Chloe crosses her arms.

 

Chloe strides into the building and makes her way to the second floor with Max and Kate in tow. “Who do we start with?”

 

“Hmm… let’s start with Dana?” Max shrugs her shoulders.  _ One way or the other, we need to get everyone safe. _

 

They head to Room 218 and Max gently raps on the door.

 

“Go away, please. People are still sleeping here.”

 

“Dana? It’s Max. _ Kate and Chloe _ are with me.”

 

The mention of their names is enough to rouse her from bed. A shuffling of padded feet can be heard behind the door and it clicks open. Dana looks pretty disheveled as she took part in last night’s festivities with Trevor. Upon laying eyes on Kate a pained expression reaches her face and she steps out to hug Kate in a warm embrace.

 

“Kate, I’m sooo sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t do enough to stop what was happening, I’m sorry I wasn’t a better friend to you.”

 

Kate returns the hug. “There’s no need to apologize, Dana. We all just have to make sure we put our best foot forward and strive to help one another from here on out.” 

 

Dana nods with glassy eyes.

 

_ Kate always has such positive sage advice, _ Max ponders thoughtfully.

 

“Chloe? Trevor’s mentioned you a few times. You definitely fit his description to a ‘T.’”

 

“Well, I hope that’s a compliment. How’s Trevor doing?”

 

“He’s good. He’s off with Justin looking for some new skate spots to rip up.” Dana finds herself using more and more of his vernacular as the two grow closer. “So are you three just hanging out at Blackwell today or something? It’s still pretty early.” Dana looks over her shoulder to check her alarm clock.

 

Kate, Max, and Chloe all look at each other awkwardly, searching for the words in their minds and waiting for someone to be brave enough to speak up and broach the topic they came for. It dawns on Max how she can approach Dana about getting her to safety.

 

“Do you remember that talk we had before?”

 

“Uhh… Max? Too many people around to have a conversation about this.”

 

Max holds her hands up. “Right, I know. I just mean, you trusted me with something and you were really happy with how everything worked out. Right?”

 

“Yes, of course, Max. You helped me through something really tough. I can’t thank you enough for that. It helped me find Trevor. Are you asking me for, like, a favor?”

 

Max turns to meet Chloe’s eyes. Chloe uses her gaze to push Max to continue.

 

“I guess this is kind of a favor, but it’s more of a favor to yourself?” Max feels like she’s floundering. “Look, there’s been some really weird weather going on. A double moon last night. You saw that, right?”

 

“Everyone saw that. They’re calling it a mass hallucination.” Dana shifts to put her weight on her right foot and lean against the doorway.

 

“What if I told you those weird things are about to get a lot worse?”  _ Please stay with me, Dana. _

 

“Like what? A drought or a flood or something?”

 

“Like a storm. A tornado. A really terrible one that is going to do serious damage to Arcadia Bay.”

 

Dana chuckles a little. She’s not sure if this is all some elaborate joke. “A West Coast tornado? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anything like that.”

 

“You wouldn’t have because I don’t think they really exist. However, somehow this one does. And it’s coming. Today.”

 

“How do you know this? Wouldn’t we see something outside?” Dana walks to the window in her room, lifts the frame and leans out. “The sky looks a little cloudy, but otherwise pretty normal.”

 

“I… saw something. Something so real that it made me believe.”

 

“It made me believe, too,” Kate adds.

 

“I’m with Max, she’s not wrong about these things,” Chloe interjects.

 

“Ok… so should I just… stay away from the windows or something? We just get into the basement or whatever if there’s a tornado, right?”

 

Max shakes her head and looks down. “No, this one comes so suddenly and so violently that there won’t be enough time. We need to get away and get safe  _ now _ .”

 

“I don’t think I’ve seen you this serious before, Max. You’re scaring me a little.”

 

“I don’t want you to be scared, Dana.  _ I want you to believe me. _ ”

 

Dana stares into each of their eyes. Max. Kate. Chloe. “Ok, this seems totally fucking weird, but I believe you. I’m not sold on this 100% because it still sounds crazy, but I trust you. And Kate clearly trusts you. You’re a hero, Max, there’s no doubting that. If you say this unbelievable storm is gonna happen, I’ll listen.”

 

“So what do we do?”

 

“Get your shit. We need to round up as many people as we can.” Chloe cuts in rather brusquely. She’s poised to take off running for the other rooms.

 

“Oook.” Dana rolls her eyes at Chloe’s comment. “Anything else?” 

 

“Can you help us convince others?” Max looks at Dana hopefully.

 

“Of course. If this is as serious as you say, we need to get everyone out of here, right?”

 

“Yes. They come with us or we find them some shelter.”

 

“Give me a minute to throw a few things in a bag.” Dana shuts the door behind her.

 

Chloe, Max, and Kate stand in the hallway in a semi-relaxed kind of silence to collect their own thoughts.

 

_ We’ve got Kate and Dana. Who else can we get? Juliet? Brooke? Warren? We should warn everyone, of course, no telling how many others will believe us. I feel like this has been the easy part so far. _ Max scuffs her shoe at the carpet and looks in Chloe’s direction.  _ I wish Chloe and I could talk everything out from our time at the lighthouse, there’s still so much to say. I’m not giving her up again. _ She meets Chloe’s gaze and smiles. Chloe smiles in return.

 

_ Max doesn’t even need her time powers to do this. She’s convincing everyone practically on her own! It’s so fucking amazing. I’m in love with such a kind, selfless soul.  _ Chloe puts her hands in the pockets of her torn jeans.  _ To think about what she did for me. How many times she rewound and jumped. How many times she had to face me dying. Am I really worthy of all this struggle? All the pain Max suffers through?  _ Chloe glances from Max and turns her eyes to Kate, noticing the introspection painted on her face.

 

_ Is this all part of God’s plan? My guardian angel has already saved me from death once and now she’s here to do it again? Now I get to be someone’s guardian angel, too. I will save people so that they can live another day to be better than they were the day before. To pay it forward in His name and image. _

 

The door to Dana’s room creaks open and she steps out with a small duffel bag. She’s wearing a dark v-neck shirt and a pair of nice jeans as she steps out into the hallway to join the other three.

 

“Let’s get Juliet. I would never forgive myself if I left her here while this disaster hits Blackwell.” She crosses the hallway to face the ‘Juliet: X-treme Reporter’ written in neat script prominently displayed on the whiteboard and pounds on the door to Room 223. Three bangs in succession.

 

“WHAT?! I’m trying to sleep, dammit! Ugh!” An object hits the door… a pencil?

 

“It’s me, asshole. Wake up, we need to leave.”

 

“Dana? What are you talking about?”

 

“Get some clothes on and open the door. Real talk.” 

 

A scrambling sound through the wooden door and drawers opening and shutting. A minute passes and the door opens to a fully dressed Juliet in a muted pastel skirt with a jean jacket covering a creme-colored crop top. Whatever she was expecting, it wasn’t Dana accompanied by Max, Chloe, and Kate.

 

“Uh, first of all. Kate! I’m so glad to see you. I’m so happy that you’re ok. I just got done with an article on school bullying here at Blackwell. I hope you have a chance to read it and tell me what you think.” Juliet beams at Kate. “Second of all, what the eff is going on here? Why are you all at my door at ten in the morning?”

 

Dana knows exactly how to get Juliet’s buy-in. “Ok, reporter extraordinaire, this is your time to shine. Front row seats for the disaster of the century. You in?” Dana’s still not totally sure about this whole situation, so she asks the question with a somewhat humorous tone.

 

The manner in which Dana asks doesn’t sit well with Max or Chloe, but they also know it’s not worth it to press the issue.  _ They’re going along with this for now and that has to be enough. _

 

Juliet presses her lips into a thin line. “What.” It’s not a question.

 

Dana leans into Juliet. “Look, this is gonna sound like,  _ totally crazy _ , ok? But Max thinks that a really bad storm is coming. Like the bad kind where people die. Am I selling this right?” Dana turns to Max.

 

“I’m gonna need a little more to go on than that. I wouldn’t be much of a ‘reporter extraordinaire’ if I went along with this having just Max’s word and zero physical evidence.” Juliet eyes Max with uncertainty. “Are there weather reports? A climate scientist’s research or something? Anything at all that points to this disaster that’s supposed to come…?”

 

“...Today. Because I’ve seen it and I know it’s coming.” Max adopts a softer tone. “I know with a reporter mindset, this has to be difficult, accepting this based solely on my word. But I need you to have some faith. Reporters trust their gut sometimes, right?” Max gestures at Chloe, Kate, and Dana with her hands. “All of these people believe me. This isn’t something I would make up or lie about. People’s lives are in danger, Juliet.”

 

“You’ve  _ seen  _ it? What does that even mean?”

 

Max holds her hands up pleadingly. “Look, I can’t go into all the details. You wouldn’t even believe me. All I can promise is that if you stick with us, you’ll be safe and you can see for yourself first-hand what I’m talking about.”

 

“This sounds a lot like one of those tin-foil hat conspiracies, Max. It really does.” Juliet looks at Kate and Chloe disapprovingly. “You  _ really  _ believe this?”

 

The amount of doubt coming from Juliet is starting to anger Chloe as she furrows her brows. “Fucking yes, I believe this.”

 

Kate adopts a more straightforward approach. “I believe  _ Max _ .”

 

“Hmph.” Juliet crosses her arms and takes an aggressive stance. Chloe and Kate’s responses cause her to wrestle internally with the notion that four people are all trying to persuade her to go with them to avoid a nonsensical tornado. 

 

Juliet is still doubtful, but she turns to Max and states, “All right, hero. You did the impossible before when you saved Kate. As you said, you’ve no reason to lie about this. While I still find it completely ridiculous, I’ll go out on a limb here. If the rest of you believe Max, I’ll believe her too.” As an aside, she scoffs, “The fucking peer pressure, here.”

 

“Now what?” Juliet impatiently waits for the next course of action.

 

“Who else can we warn? Who else will come with us?” Kate asks.

 

Dana looks down the hallway. “There’s Brooke,  _ Victoria _ , and Taylor left on this floor. Will any of the boys be joining us?”

 

“Let’s get those three. I don’t know how many more people we can bring with us in Chloe’s truck. We should certainly warn everyone else. No telling how many more will believe us, though.” Max tries to remain hopeful, but Juliet’s hard-nosed replies make her doubt her resolve.

 

Juliet thumbs the door next to her’s. “Taylor’s right here. Shall we?” She gives the door a light rapping.

 

A muffled, “Uhh… what the fuck.” can be heard through the door. 

 

“Taylor, it’s Juliet. Open the door.”

 

“Go away? Why are you even talking to me?”

 

Juliet sighs and rolls her eyes. “Because something fucking serious is happening and we want you to come with us.” 

 

“ _ We _ ? Who’s this ‘we’ shit?”

 

Juliet looks around at the group. “Dana, Max, Kate, Chloe, and  _ me _ . Can the attitude, ok? We’re trying to help you.”

 

Silence on the other end of the door.

 

“Did she fucking go back to sleep?” Chloe snarls.

 

Max puts her head against the door. “Taylor? It’s Max. Your Mom is doing better now, right? I want you to be around to be able to take care of her and make sure she makes a full recovery. You won’t be able to do that if you stay here at Blackwell today.”

 

That gets Taylor’s attention. She throws open the door and stares Max straight in the face. “Is that a threat?” She sounds incredulous.

 

Max grabs her head and shakes. “What? No, no. I didn’t mean it like that. I mean something bad is going to happen in Arcadia Bay today and if you stay here, I don’t know how that’ll turn out.” 

 

“That still sounds like a fucking threat, Caulfield.”

 

Chloe steps in between the two of them. “If you want to fucking die here at Blackwell, then that’s on you. But don’t say we didn’t warn you.”

 

“Are you all planning on like, bombing the school or something?”

 

Dana steps forward. “Oh for fuck’s sake. What is wrong with you, Taylor? There’s a crazy storm coming and we’re trying to save you from it. Save you from  _ dying,  _ dammit.”

 

Taylor laughs. “You’re all fucking with me, right? This is some elaborate joke because I was a bitch to Kate? Look, I’m sorry for what I did, I really am. I’ve learned that was a shitty thing to do and I don’t want to tear people down. But will you all fuck off, please?” Taylor turns to close her door. 

 

Kate puts her hand out towards Taylor. “Taylor, I don’t appreciate the note you threw at me in Jefferson’s class. But I forgive you. We all have it in our hearts to repent and learn from our mistakes. We all also have it in our hearts to help those in need. Right now you’re in need. You’re in need of friends and you’re in need of someone who will keep you safe. That’s us.”

 

Chloe and Max exchange looks, wide-eyed, as do Dana and Juliet.

 

Taylor ponders for a moment and swallows. Kate words resonate and seem to have an impact because of the pained look on her face.

 

“Ok, maybe I do want some new friends. I kind of get treated like shit sometimes and I’m pretty tired of it. But this storm thing sounds kind of stupid? Aren’t we safe in the school if it hits Arcadia Bay?”

 

“This is a storm way worse than that, a tornado that is going to level this city,” Max speaks frankly.

 

“How would you know that?” Taylor looks surprised.

 

“I just… do. You have to believe me. It will make more sense if you come with us. You’ll see soon enough and we can get somewhere safe.”

 

Taylor sighs. “What else did I have to do on a Friday with no school, I guess? Give me a minute to change and grab some things.”

 

The group looks formidable - six women who are mostly determined to save as many citizens of Arcadia Bay as they can.

 

“There’s Brooke and  _ Victoria _ left,” Juliet notes. 

 

“Split up, their rooms are right next to each other. Let’s get them both and get going.” Max tries to quicken the pace, she doesn’t know exactly how much time they have left and is starting to feel anxious.

 

“Should we rock, paper, scissors for Victoria, then?” Chloe’s question drips with sarcasm.

 

Max looks to Chloe and reaches out. “It’s ok, I’ll go. Kate, would you come with me?”

 

“Sure.” Kate’s voice bears no ill-will.

 

Dana, Juliet, and Taylor head for Brooke’s door, while the other three stand in front of Victoria’s.

 

Max lets out a breath and gently knocks.

 

“I hope someone has a death wish, bothering me in the morning like this.” The door cracks open to reveal a black mascara green eye. The eye looks Max up and down. “Uh, what the fuck do you want?”

 

_ I see Victoria’s attitude hasn’t changed one bit. I need to make this work the first time. _

 

“Hi Victoria, how are you doing?”

 

“Didn’t we already have this conversation about not being friends?”

 

“ _ Kate _ is here with me.”  _ I don’t want to have to use her as some kind of bargaining chip, but this may bring down Victoria’s attitude way faster than I ever could. _

 

“Uh… really?” The door opens wider to show Victoria in mid-makeup application. She eyes Chloe. “Why is  _ she  _ here?”

 

“She’s with me, Victoria.” Chloe stays stone-faced as she meets eyes with Victoria.

 

Some of Victoria’s facade breaks down. “Kate, how are you doing? Do you need anything? We’re all hoping for your fast recovery.”

 

Kate smiles at Victoria. “Thank you, Victoria. I’m doing a lot better, all thanks to my friends and family.” She looks at Max and Chloe.

 

“Well, if there’s anything I can do… please let me know.”  _ She’ll never apologize for that video though, will she? _ “So I imagine there’s more to this cordial visit than just telling me that Kate’s back, right?”

 

“Yes… we’re getting people together so we can get out of here. Something’s coming.” Max tries to choose her words carefully.

 

“Something’s… coming?”  _ Here comes that Victoria attitude _ . “Like, what kind of cryptic-ass statement is that? Are we in a horror movie all the sudden?” Victoria takes a step back and puts her hand on the door - she’s poised to close it.

 

“It’s… a storm. A really, really bad storm. A storm that puts us all in danger.”

 

Victoria flat-out laughs. “Are you high or something? ‘A storm that puts us all in danger’? Who even says that? I always wondered if the rumors were true. Maybe you are a few polaroids short.”

 

Max’s anger is building, but she does her best to play it cool and not respond to Victoria’s bait.

 

Victoria glares in Chloe’s direction.

 

“I know you… you used to hang out with that Rachel Amber.”

 

“What do  _ you _ know about her?”

 

“ _ That she was a whore _ !” Chloe immediately grabs Victoria by the throat and starts to pull her up by the neck.

 

“You take that back,  _ right now _ , or I will break your pretty little face all over your fucking desk!”

 

Max squeezes Chloe’s arm. “No, Chlo… not like this!”  _ I can’t rewind. If my face gets totally fucked up like before, it’s game over. No one will want to come with us if they get a good look at all the blood. _ “ _ We can’t take this back _ .” Max hopes that’s enough of a hint to Chloe that rewinding this conversation isn’t an option.

 

Chloe takes her hand off of Victoria slowly and steps back.

 

Victoria looks loathsome. “I believe this conversation is over, bitch.” The door begins closing.

 

Kate steps forward and holds her hand out in the doorway. “Victoria, wait. We’re all carrying with us the scars of this past week’s pain and circumstances. A lot has happened. Right now, we’re trying to look out for each other. I know what Max said is hard to understand, but I believe her. She protected me from a terrible darkness once before. I have faith that she knows something terrible is coming now and she’s here to be our safe harbor.” Kate looks at Victoria with a stern, serious face.

 

Kate’s frankness cuts through Victoria. “Why would you want to protect  _ me _ , Max? What have I done to deserve that? I’m no pure, wholesome Kate.”

 

“Because I see the good in you, Victoria. And even though you can be... difficult, I don’t want to see you harmed.”  _ I would  _ love _ to call her a name way ruder than ‘difficult.’ _

 

“I’m a downright bitch, Max. Wouldn’t it just thrill you to see me killed by this storm?”

 

“No, Victoria, I wouldn’t. I don’t want to see anyone killed.”  _ I’ve seen too many already. _

 

Victoria sighs and looks at the three of them. “You’re too good for this world, Max. Maybe find another one?” Max smirks.  _ I already tried. This is the one world for me because it has the one person whose side I will never, ever leave again. _

 

“So what’s the grand plan, hero?” Victoria’s speech is still rife with contempt. But it sounds like she’s willing to go along with the idea of getting out of Blackwell for a phantom storm, for now.

 

“We get whoever else we can from Blackwell, get Chloe’s Mom, do our best to warn the rest, and get out of Arcadia Bay.”

 

Chloe, with concern in her voice, says, “My Mom is at the Two Whales right near the beach.”

 

“Right. We go to the Two Whales after this, and then get out of Arcadia Bay.”

 

Victoria steps out of her room after finishing her morning routine posthaste. In the interim, Dana, Juliet, and Taylor confirm that Brooke isn’t answering her door. They need to look elsewhere for her.

 

They make their way to the boys’ floor and try to engage with as many people as they can. The boys seem pretty nonplussed by the revelation of an oncoming storm. Their youthful masculine bravado speaks for them when they say they’ll be fine at the Blackwell Academy dormitory. Girls shouldn’t be worrying about a big, scary storm. The building is plenty strong enough to shelter everyone. The message gets through to Daniel though, so he leaves his room with the group. Zachary tags along, only at the dire insistence of Juliet because he ‘owes her for the shit he pulled.’ Zach keeps his distance from Victoria whenever possible and makes absolutely no eye contact.

 

_ No Warren. I had better text him. If it’s like the old timeline, he’s made his way to the Two Whales, probably. _ Max taps a few characters on her phone’s messenger app.

 

Victoria frantically looks for Nathan, but his door is locked and no one answers. She immediately starts typing on her phone in an agitated state.

 

Max exchanges a look with Chloe and shakes her head.  _ I have a voicemail she needs to listen to. But now’s not the time.  _

 

“I guess that’s everyone we’re gonna get from here. Everyone’s been warned, everyone who is going to know, knows.” Max wishes she could do more. So much more. But rewinding has taught her that she’s just one person and the changes she’s made will have to suffice. She has Chloe, she has her friends. That’s what she set out to do and that’s what she’s accomplished.

 

The ever-increasingly large group now consists of: Max, Chloe, Kate, Dana, Juliet, Taylor, Victoria, Zach, and Daniel. The nine of them step out of the dormitory and look out into the courtyard. They look up into the sky. A day with sparse, white clouds and a sea of blue. Most of them are expecting to see a sky as black as soot. More doubt wanders its way through the group. Max and Chloe know better. Their hands brush again and their muscles tense. 

 

_ We need to talk about this sooner or later. But first, Joyce. _ Max nods to herself and starts marching in the direction of the school parking lot.

 

“Are all of us going to fit in Chloe’s truck?” Juliet is skeptical.

 

Victoria holds up a set of keys. “I have my own truck, people. Who’s worthy enough to ride in the Slayermobile?”

 

A collective groan runs through the crowd. 

 

“Is that a reference to  _ Buffy _ the Vampire Slayer, Victoria?” Max asks cautiously.

 

“Uh, yeah? Fucking love that show. You’re not the only nerd around here, Max. I like cool shit like Buffy, too, you know.”  _ Yeah, I remember that collectible anime figure in your room, Vic. _

 

The group reaches the quad in front of Blackwell’s main campus when Dana gasps and points out beyond the football field and into the overlook of the ocean. “Holy shit, Max! Look!” 

 

Despite the lazily drifting clouds in the distance, something strange gathers itself over the center of the bay, out in the middle of the ocean. A collection of jet-black clouds, the likes of which have never been seen by anyone before, coalesce several hundred feet in the air.

 

Words that once sounded like the rantings of an unhinged person suddenly hold significantly more weight, given what the nine of them are now seeing with their own two eyes.

 

Max is vindicated in nearly all of their minds now. “Can we please get the fuck out of here, now?”  _ It’s time to haul ass. I don’t know how much more time we have. _

 

The group jogs the rest of the way to the parking lot, jumping into pickup beds, unlocking doors, and starting engines. Everything suddenly feels far more urgent now.

 

People split up roughly evenly between the two trucks: Max, Chloe, and Kate in their original positions in the cab with Daniel and Dana in the back of the covered bed. Victoria, Taylor, Juliet, and Zach cram into the beige truck with the license plate marked ‘BFFVMPRSLR.’

 

The two vehicles pull out of the lot and out onto the main road to start driving towards the beachside road of Arcadia Bay, where they’ll find Chloe’s mother at the Two Whales. Chloe stops in the middle of the road when through the rear-view mirror she catches Juliet’s delirious waving out the window of Victoria’s truck.

 

“Juliet’s pointing to… the football field?” Everyone in Chloe’s cab leans and looks toward the lush green plot of land.

 

In the middle, stands a bespectacled Asian girl with a tablet in her hand and a drone buzzing high overhead.

 

“It’s Brooke!” Max exclaims.

 

Chloe guns the engine and jumps the curb, ripping up all the grass with rough off-road tires as her truck passes through an open gate and onto the main field. She slams on the brakes, leaving a humongous trench of soil in the wake of the truck.

 

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” Chloe grins impishly.  Max and Kate stare at her with astonishment and she shrugs. “This place is gonna be rubble, right?”

 

Max points at her in mock admonishment. “Watch yourself, missy.”

 

Chloe leans out the window to confront a slack-jawed Brooke. “Get in, loser. We’re going rescuing.”

 

Brooke takes a look at the ever-growing disturbance in the distance and doesn’t think twice. She lands her drone and quickly clutches it to her chest. “Boy, am I glad to see all of you.”


	4. The Two Whales

#  The Two Whales

 

The two trucks make their way to the beachside roads; passengers post on social media at a frenzied pace. Photos and video of the dark clouds, warnings for everyone to seek a sturdy shelter immediately. The social reach of Dana, Juliet, and Victoria alone should be enough to get the word out to more than half the population of Arcadia Bay.

 

A message appears on Max’s phone.

 

**Juliet** : I’ve posted everywhere I can think of. Word’s out. Ne1 that doesn’t listen [shrug]

 

**Max** : Thanks, Juliet. Thank you for believing me. [heart]

 

**Juliet** : I almost didn’t want to. It still seems ridic, but just [eyes] at the sky.

 

A short video of the apocalyptic obsidian weather formation growing larger and larger pops up on the screen.

 

**Max** : JFC this had better convince everyone. [weary]

 

**Juliet** : We owe it all to [pointing finger] Max. Thank you.

 

Max puts her phone away with a satisfied look on her face. 

 

“What’s the news?” Chloe inquires.

 

“Everyone’s putting the word out on social media. We’re helping a lot of people this time.”  _ Oops _ .

 

Kate’s perceptive enough to not let that slip by. “What do you mean, ‘this time,’ Max?” 

 

_ Shit shit shit. I shouldn’t have said that. I should not have said that. Do I go for a rewind or let this play out? _

 

Chloe’s at an impasse. Should she let Max handle this on her own or provide support somehow? She knows Kate’s a good friend, but a rather religious good friend might not take a divulgence of the supernatural well. Chloe is tongue-tied, so, for the time being, remains mute on the subject.

 

Max lets out a breath and looks around the cab, thinking of how best to choose her words. “I promised you in the hospital that I would tell you what’s in my head after all this is over. But we have a moment now, so I might as well explain some of what’s going on. About that storm - what I saw… I can’t go into all the details yet, but I can tell you that when I saw this storm the last time, I was being forced to make a terrible choice.” She reaches over Kate and puts her hand on Chloe’s hand. “Either give up someone who I had been fighting tooth and nail for or allow a natural disaster to wipe this place off the map.

 

Kate ponders Max’s explanation. “Now you’re being given a second chance?”

 

_ Let’s go with that. _ “Basically. I think there’s a way to make sure people are safe and I don’t lose Chloe.”

 

Kate puts her hand on Max’s thigh. “I believe in you, Max. You stopped me from being reckless and helped me see the light. Whatever you choose, it’ll be the right decision.”

 

The vote of confidence warms Max’s heart. “Thank you, Kate. It means a lot to hear you say that.”

 

Chloe leans into Kate’s space. “It would probably be weird to talk about  _ us _ right now, wouldn’t it?” She’s only half joking.

 

Max shifts uncomfortably in her seat. “Well, no. But I don’t want to make this awkward for Kate.” She pouts her lips.

 

Surprise is written all over Kate’s face. “Us? Is there an… us?”

 

Max swallows.  _ Time to dive in. _ “Yes, there’s an ‘us,’ Kate. We kind of just figured out our feelings for each other recently.”

 

“Oh, wow! That’s… great! I’m happy that you two are happy!” Kate’s bright smile is infectious.

 

Max and Chloe shrug, unsure of what they expected Kate’s reaction to be.

 

Kate thinks for a moment. “Well, I could put some headphones in if you’d like some privacy?”

 

Max can practically see Chloe’s eyes light up. “Can you switch spots with Max, too?”

 

Kate nods, does a little contortion to let Max pass over her into the middle of the cab and she takes the window, popping in her earbuds.

 

Chloe clears her throat. “So, Maxaroni… something to say to me?” She looks at Max with anticipation.

 

“I don’t want to rush anything… I’m just curious where we stand.”

 

Chloe laughs. “That was a pretty serious kiss before the hospital, Max. Where do  _ you _ think we stand?”

 

“I know I don’t want to be with anyone else, Chlo. I know these last five years I have been such an asshole for not staying in contact with you. I can never get that time back. I want to make the most of the time I have now and I don’t want to waste a second being somewhere without you.” Max squeezes Chloe’s thigh.

 

“I still can’t get over the things you’ve done to get this far, Max. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully comprehend how hard it must’ve been. Can I even live up to that standard? I’m still in disbelief on why anyone would do that for me. Fuck.” Chloe makes a scoffing sound.

 

“It’s not a competition! I did what I did… because I had to. If I didn’t, you wouldn’t be here. It’s that simple. I won’t be here - I  _ can’t _ be here... without you. Life isn’t worth living without you, Chlo.” Max wraps her arm around Chloe’s shoulder and buries her face into the soft clavicle curve exposed in her tank top.

 

“I keep feeling like this is a dream, Max. Like I’m just one violent shake from waking up and realizing this isn’t real.”

 

“This is real. It’s as real as it gets and I refuse to let go.”

 

“Then I refuse to let go, too.” Chloe picks up Max’s hand off of her shoulder and gives it a deep kiss. “I fucking love you, Maxine Caulfield. With all my heart.” Chloe looks into her eyes.

 

“I fucking love you too, Chloe Elizabeth Price. All this time bullshit, I do for you.” Max returns the gaze.

 

Max nudges Kate and motions for her to remove her ear buds. “Thanks, Kate. The mushy stuff is all over.”

 

“Aw, if it was only mushy stuff… I would have loved to be a part of that conversation!” Kate kids and giggles.

 

“Well, next time we’ll be sure to have you participate!” Max smiles cheerfully.

 

The jovial atmosphere quickly evaporates as the truck pulls into the beachside district of Arcadia Bay. A vortex is birthed from the swirling clouds as dark as pitch; it comes from seemingly nowhere. Tendrils snake out and the blackness quickly spreads across the sky. A light rain begins falling, but the severity quickly picks up and the wind starts to rush around them.

 

“Uh…?” Chloe lowers her head to get a better look at the storm that is rapidly descending upon their location.

 

“Step on it, Chlo.” Max puts her hand on the dashboard.

 

“Would this be a good time to use some kind of Fast and Furious line?” 

 

Max screws up her face in response.

 

“‘I live my life a quarter mile at a time’?”

 

“Are you cereal right now, dude?” Max rolls her eyes and gives Chloe a light punch in the shoulder.

 

Chloe guns the accelerator and speeds towards the Two Whales Diner, weaving through the sparse traffic. It seems as though the social media blast has taken some effect. The news has gotten out and the streets are far less populated than they normally would be on a Friday afternoon.

 

Within minutes, the savagery of the storm makes it look like nightfall has consumed Arcadia Bay. The rain lashes the windshield of the truck and the wipers work at a violent pace. The gusts are enough to jerk the truck out of its straight-line path to the diner.

 

Garbage accumulates in the street as the wind gains strength - containers, boxes, and roofing all blow around on the concrete. A massive blast of air hits the truck at the same time a pile of rubble peppers the side. Kate and Max look over to see one wall of a building blown out from the force. 

 

_ It’s only gonna get worse from here. _ Max hopes that there’s still enough time to get the remaining members of their group before they head out of the Bay.

 

Another minute and they pull into the parking lot of the Two Whales.

 

_ No Warren. No whales. No oil spill that makes the diner explode. Not yet, at least.  _ Max observes her surroundings to compare it to the last time she was in this situation. It looks far less dire this time around, although she doesn’t know how long the storm was in effect before she arrived at the diner in the previous timeline.

 

Chloe quickly jumps out of the truck and half runs to the diner, leaping the few steps to the door and throws it open.

 

_ It’s probably not safe for everyone to wait out here unprotected. _ Max motions for everyone to join her as she walks towards the diner. As soon as she sets foot inside, she hears the heated conversation between Joyce and Chloe.

 

“- you can’t be galavanting out in the weather! You’ll get yourself killed!”

 

“ _ You’ll _ get  _ yourself _ killed waiting it out in here, Mom!” Chloe points out the window. “Look at that fucking thing!”

 

In the Bay, the vortex is growing larger by the minute and sweeping up an immense amount of seawater, spraying it everywhere.

 

Max spots Frank sitting behind the counter, dabbing his face with a cloth. “Damned window blew out and some of the glass caught me in the face.” Pompidou is panting by his side, looking concerned for his master.

 

“Mom, we have to go!”

 

“Go  _ where _ ?”

 

_ Go where? That’s a good question. _ Max hadn’t actually considered where they would all flee to. They couldn’t all just drive up to the lighthouse. If it’s anything like her nightmare, that will get destroyed, too. They need an impenetrable shelter. Then, it dawns on her.  _ Oh fuck. I know exactly where we can go. Fuck fuck fuck. No no no. That can’t be our only option, it just can’t be.  _ Images of Jefferson’s plastic smile play across her memories. The duct tape, the chair, the camera flash, the piercing needle. It all starts to flood back into Max’s mind and her chest seizes.  _ I don’t know how I’m going to do this, but I have to fight this crippling terror. This is for the good of everyone. They need to survive. I made this choice. Me. Now I have to deal with the consequences.  _

 

_ We go to the Dark Room. _

 

“There’s a storm shelter, Joyce. It’s big, it’ll fit all of us. It’s built to withstand something like this.” Max is fighting the urge to add,  _ it’s also where I was drugged and nearly killed. It’s where Kate was drugged and photographed while unconscious. _

 

Amidst the involved conversation, the rest of the group shuffles in. Kate, Victoria, Taylor, Dana, Juliet, Zach, Brooke, and Daniel all cluster near the entrance to the diner, looking like trapped animals.

 

Joyce turns to Max. “Where’s the shelter?”

 

“There’s a barn, on the outskirts of town. We can get there with the trucks we have parked outside.”

 

Chloe’s eyes grow wide at the realization of what Max is referring to. “Max…?”

 

Max closes her eyes briefly. “It’s ok, Chloe. It’s ok.”  _ It is most definitely not fucking ok, but there isn’t a better place we can go where we won’t all die from this catastrophe. _

 

Chloe knows Max well enough to understand. Max is being selfless again to make sure everyone is safe.  _ I love you so much, Maxine Caulfield. You have no idea. We do this together. I will help you fight this. _

 

“Should I ask how you girls know about some random storm shelter on the edge of town?” Joyce asks in her Southern drawl.

 

Max and Chloe share a look. “Maybe another time, Joyce. But right now, we need to get everyone there ASAP.” Max looks ready to bolt out the door.

 

Joyce looks at the countertop and an array of supplies she spread out when the storm began. “Let me just gather this stuff up into a bag, we may very well need it.”

 

A flurry of activity explodes after Joyce finishes her sentence. People are shuttling supplies to the trucks and gathering anything they think might be useful to have in the shelter. Joyce sends a quick text to David to confirm that he is free from danger at the police station. She receives an almost instant affirmation from him and he implores her to stay safe.

 

“Are you girls just gonna leave the trash behind?” Frank chimes in.

 

“C’mon dude, don’t be ridiculous. You’re coming with us.” Chloe is almost offended that Frank thought he would be left behind.

 

The wind is rattling the windows to the diner with ferocious bursts. Several of the group stoop down to get a better look through the window at the tornado approaching the beach. 

 

“I think it’s definitely time to leave.  _ Now _ .” Dana opens the door and a gale of air pushes everyone back.

 

The group of twelve walks briskly to the parking lot on the left side of the Two Whales and are relieved to see their two trucks largely unscathed. There are some dents where projectiles have impacted the metal at high velocity, but otherwise, the vehicles are completely driveable. Frank’s RV on the other hand…

 

“FUCK!” Frank clutches his hair in tufts and Pompidou lets out a sad howl.

 

A wooden boat that presumably came from a nearby dock now lies in the middle of the RV, turning the mobile home into salvage.

 

Chloe puts her hand on Frank’s shoulder. “Just be grateful you weren’t in the RV when it happened, dude. Worry about it later, we need to go now!”

 

“Fuck,” Frank moans as he shakes his head.

 

The twelve split between the two trucks evenly when Max clenches Chloe’s arm. “Warren!” 

 

As the others jump into the automobiles, Max dials Warren’s number with a hysteric look on her face.

 

The roar of the tornado in the distance causes a lot of interference on the phone, but Max can make out a handful of words. “... driving… damage… Two Whales…” The line disconnects.

 

Max looks at Chloe hopefully. “I think he's on his way to the Two Whales.”

 

Chloe glances at the vortex and then back at her, worry straining her face. “How long can we wait?”

 

Max stares at the swirling blackness that grows closer and closer to them. “Let’s wait a few minutes and see what happens.” She looks to the two trucks and sees everyone has distributed themselves between the cabs and pickup beds. They're ready to go.

 

The rain pours down in sheets and soaks the two girls. Chloe bends down and leans into Max for a deep kiss; their tongues make contact and wander for a moment. “Partners in time, Max. Always and forever.”

 

“Always and forever, Chlo. I'm never giving you up again.”

 

Chloe climbs in the cab and the engine rumbles to life. Max joins her on the passenger side, staring out at the road in the direction she hopes Warren will appear from shortly.

 

The wind rocks the truck back and forth. The occupants of the trucks peer through the precipitation-soaked windows, trying to get a good look and gauge the distance the tornado has before it reaches them.

 

Max frowns at her phone. Nothing from Warren. Others are quiet, waiting for the full power of the tornado to be realized. They get in touch with loved ones, friends, making sure people have a safe place to ride out the fierce storm. The vast majority are accounted for.

 

The gale picks up again and debris makes a  _ clack clack clack  _ sound on the metal body. Some chips and cracks accumulate on the windows.

 

The four huddled in the truck are afraid to leave, but afraid to stay. There’s no telling what will happen either way. Max has never been down this path because of the photo jump after recovering the selfie from Warren. Max’s blackout at the beach before being carried to the lighthouse doesn’t do any better in informing them on what will happen next. How much longer can they hold out for Warren?

 

An ear-shattering twisting of metal echoes outside the truck and the group looks to see a train derail and slide into several parked cars. An explosion illuminates the area and a fireball consumes the accident. 

 

Then, Max has a flash of memory. There’s going to be an explosion at the Two Whales! Max rushes out of the truck and plunges into the storm. She yells at the closing door, “SOMEONE SEE IF THERE ARE ANY SURVIVORS!” With her arm in front of her face, she navigates to the front of the diner and finds the overturned red crate marked ‘Fire Sand.’ She grabs the nearby shovel and begins tossing mounds on the area she’s pretty sure the stream of oil follows.

 

Joyce and Chloe fight the wind and the rain to poke around the wreckage while shouting for survivors. Several minutes pass with no responses and they give up. They’re not equipped to fight a fire of this magnitude and little will be gained by risking their own lives to brave the blaze.

 

As Max finishes up the last couple of shovelfuls, covering the area as best she can to protect the diner, she spots a compact car in the distance traveling at high speed. The squall increases its fury and knocks Max over. She picks herself back up and sees that in the meantime the car has veered off course and into the side of a building. Curls of smoke are wafting from the engine bay.

 

Max screams for Warren and runs towards the car, flat out. She reaches the car and sees Warren slumped over the steering wheel with the airbag deflating and cushioning his chest. Max desperately pulls on the door handle and pulls him back to a sitting position. A trail of blood runs down the bridge of his nose - he must have broken it from the force of the airbag during impact. She puts a hand on his chest and feels for breathing. It's rising up and down. 

 

_ Thank goodness he’s still alive. Something must have changed this time around to cause this crash because he was safe and sound in the Two Whales before. _

 

Pulling at Warren’s limp body with urgency, Max realizes that she needs to unbuckle his seatbelt. She fumbles around through the airbag, sweeping her hand for the release button. 

 

Having spotted Max as they walk back to the truck, Joyce and Chloe run over to assist her.

 

Mid-run, Chloe shouts through the blustering rain, “IS WARREN OK?”

 

Max shouts back, “I THINK HE’S KNOCKED OUT!”

 

Joyce and Chloe reach Max as she attempts to drag Warren out of his smashed car. Chloe grabs him by the armpits and heaves. Max has his ankles and the two of them do their best to carry the dead weight over to the pickup truck at a brisk pace. They load him into the bed with Brooke and Daniel. 

 

“Shit, what happened to Warren?” Brooke has tears in her eyes.  _ Just how much does she care about Warren? More than a friend? _

 

Max wipes rain from her face. “The storm made him lose control and he crashed. He’s alive, but it looks like his nose is broken and he’s out cold. Use some of the medical supplies and keep an eye on him while we drive to the shelter.” Max closes the hatch to the cap and hops in the truck on the driver’s side to sit next to Chloe.

 

“Let’s get out of here, Chlo.” Max rests her hand on Chloe’s and gives her a meaningful look.

 

“You don’t need to tell me twice.” Chloe puts the truck in reverse and maneuvers out of the parking lot with Victoria’s truck close behind. 

 

They pull onto the main road when suddenly Kate shouts, “WATCH OUT!” and points at the tens of thousands of kilograms of whale that is plummeting from the sky towards the truck. Max quickly grabs Chloe’s forearm, concentrates, and rewinds to give them enough time to avoid the impact point of the airborne whale. She sniffles and rubs the blood away from her cheeks and nose. A knife of pain hits her at the base of her skull and she cries out.

 

Chloe jerks the wheel and swerves to the right, the thud of the whale next to them causing the truck to bounce. Victoria catches the swerve just in time and follows suit, narrowly missing the blubbery flesh from crushing the truck.

 

Everyone stares at the whale carcass that nearly ended their lives. Joyce and Kate simultaneously turn to look at Max and shock registers on both of their faces. 

 

“Max, dear? What’s going on? How are you suddenly bleeding like that?” Joyce turns on the mothering without hesitation and tends to the blood running down Max’s face.

 

“It’s… a thing, Joyce. I’m sorry.”

 

“How can you possibly apologize for something like that? I’ll take care of it.” Joyce tenderly holds Max’s head and carefully wipes away the red trickling from her nose and mouth. She’s bewildered by the abrupt injury but provides aid nonetheless.

 

As the two trucks pull away from the Two Whales and the beachside road, the tornado unleashes its ire on the Bay. It’s as if the heavens were ripped asunder with this unnatural disaster to have a single-minded focus: to wipe this place off the map.

 

The passengers watch from the rear window and the pickup beds while the force of the wind tears roofs off of shops and throws automobiles around like children’s toys.

 

Chloe sighs with relief. Her mother is safe. Frank is safe. Max’s friends are safe. There’s one last bridge to cross as long as they make it through this maelstrom...


	5. Getaway

#  Getaway

 

The trucks are battered by the storm, being shifted to and fro as they race down the paved beachside road towards the farmhouse. Sand from the coast pelts the car and the rain lashes the windshield, making the wipers work overtime with little effect. Every other building skirting the bay has varying amounts of damage to it: blown out windows, crumbling walls, fires, or downed power lines.

 

A wave of melancholy overtakes the group as they watch their hometown being destroyed by the terrible force of nature. The vibrant community will need a great deal of time to rebuild and recover. There’s a feeling of solace, too. They owe their lives to Max. Many of them initially thought it was a joke or hyperbole, but being face to face with the tempest has humbled them all. It has taught them a lesson in trust and faith.

 

They pass the Arcadia Bay Harbor and see dozens of capsized ships of all shapes and sizes. There are small glowing patches visible through the torrential rain; fires that burn from electrical overloads and spilled oil that ignited.

 

On the left side, they stare at the burning wreckage of the local gas station. The wind must have ruptured gas lines to have caused such an intense explosion. The group can only hope there are no casualties.

 

The view is bleak and the uncomfortable silence hangs over Kate, Joyce, Chloe, and Max like a shroud. Max reassures herself that the last time she faced this catastrophe, there were quite a few bodies littering the streets when she was making her way to the Two Whales. This time, none. Presumably any dead in this timeline would be found in buildings that did not withstand the sheer power of the tempest.

 

Joyce breaks the silence. “Thank you, Max. You had impeccable timing to come when you did.”

 

_ If you only knew, Joyce. _

 

“I wish I had paid better attention to the weather report for today. I sure don’t remember any big announcements of a storm like this coming. Surely it would’ve been all over the news the last couple of days?”

 

_ Play it dumb or be as honest with her as I have been with everyone else? _

 

“Things around Arcadia Bay have been… strange lately, haven’t they?” Max tries to keep her voice as even as possible.

 

“They sure have.” Joyce’s Southern twang comes out strong in her vowels as she responds to Max.

 

“Well, I think this storm is an extension of that. It wasn’t announced on the news because they didn’t actually know.”

 

“That seems pretty hard to believe, Max. I can’t imagine meteorologists not knowing about something this serious.”

 

Chloe noticeably grips the steering wheel more tightly.

 

“Joyce, what if I told you I saw this coming?”

 

“You mean you had a nightmare about this?”

 

“Uh… something like that. It was so real that I felt in my bones that a horrendous disaster was going to happen today and I needed to get everyone safe.”

 

“I’m not one for ESP and all that X-Files business, but if whatever you saw was that real and convinced you to take action rescuing everyone, I’m willing to leave it at that.”

 

Max and Chloe’s eyebrows perk up. “ _ X-Files? _ ”

 

“Ladies,” Joyce looks to them with a smirk and leans in, “I do own a television and I happen to think David Duchovny is quite dreamy, thank you very much.”

 

A chuckle erupts through the cab, a space of levity in a day filled with seriousness and high tension.

 

“What’s ‘X-Files’?” Kate tilts her head. “I was never really allowed to watch much television when I was with my family.”

 

Chloe's voice takes on a lofty tone. “Well, Kate. The X-Files is about two FBI agents who investigate a bunch of paranormal shit like ghosts and aliens. It is a  _ hella _ sweet show.”

 

“Hmm, the Bible kind of keeps us away from that sort of stuff, but it sounds interesting. Maybe I’ll watch a few episodes and see for myself.” Kate is legitimately interested in the concept. 

 

“Five bucks says Warren has like the whole series on that flash drive of his,” Max adds. 

 

“Sounds like we need an X-Files viewing party after all this storm bullshit is over,” Chloe nods, pleased with herself.

 

The ring of Max’s cell phone interrupts the lively conversation. It’s Dana, riding in Victoria’s truck.

 

“Max, Vic is losing her shit right now. She still can’t get a hold of Nathan and I’m afraid she’s gonna crash this truck because she’s so upset.”

 

_ Do we have time to pull over? _

 

Max looks to Chloe. “What should we do?”

 

The rain is still coming down fiercely and the wind is launching detritus across the road. Max examines their current situation. She doesn’t remember exactly how far it is to the Prescott Barn, but it can’t be more than another ten or fifteen minutes at her best estimate.

 

“Is it safe to stop, Max?” Chloe looks worried; she’s apprehensive about any detours that may jeopardize the group before they reach the Dark Room.

“I don’t know, but I think it’s even more dangerous to let Victoria keep driving if she’s that upset.”

 

Chloe eases on the brake and pulls over to the side of the road. Victoria’s truck does the same. 

 

Victoria immediately throws open the driver’s side door, leaps out, and starts screaming at the sky. “WHERE’S NATHAN?! GIVE HIM BACK!” She falls to her knees with her face in her hands.

 

Max and Kate run over to comfort her, turning it into a three-person hug. Chloe keeps an eye on everything, standing near the rear bumper. Over the din of the rain and thunder, Max confesses to Victoria.

 

“Vic, I have something you need to hear.” Max cues up the voicemail that Nathan left for her in the other timeline. She puts the phone to Victoria’s ear and taps the play button.

 

“Max, it’s… it’s Nathan. I just wanted to say… I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt Kate or Rachel, or… didn’t want to hurt anybody.” The tears are flowing freely down Victoria’s face, mixing with the rain as they get soaked by the elements. “Everybody… used me. Mr. Jefferson… is coming for me now.” Victoria gasps and her eyes bulge. She mouths,  _ Mister Jefferson? _ “All this shit will be over soon. Watch out, Max… he wants to hurt you next.”

 

Victoria prostrates herself on the roadside gravel, rocking back and forth. “Why, Nathan, why?” She turns to Max and screams, “WHAT DID JEFFERSON DO?”

 

“He did some really disturbing shit to some girls, Vic. Rachel was one of them. Nathan helped him, but Jefferson used him as a scapegoat so he could avoid getting caught.” Max puts her forehead to Victoria’s. “Nathan is gone, Vic.”

 

Victoria wails, an ear-piercing scream everyone hears over the sound of the pouring rain. 

 

Kate now knows the full extent of Max’s statement that ‘Nathan isn’t an issue anymore.’ She lets herself cry along with Victoria. Her memory of that night at the Vortex Club party is filled with fog - only bits and pieces of stumbling around and locking lips with strangers - but she would never wish death on Nathan for what he did. She too feels used for her innocence and the people who had no remorse over corrupting her at the party. But, she recognizes that Nathan was troubled long before what happened this week. He deserves forgiveness.

 

Kate closes her eyes, puts her hands together, and offers a silent prayer.  _ I hope you’re at peace now, Nathan. _

 

Dana, Juliet, and Taylor climb out of the truck to help Victoria get out of the rain. Together, everyone gently lifts her arms and brings her to the passenger side. Dana climbs into the driver’s seat and shuts the door. 

 

Through the window, Max and Kate can see Taylor and Juliet comforting Victoria with hugs and stroke her hair. She is wracked with sobs and her chest heaves with the pain of losing the one person she thought truly understood her. 

 

Kate heads to the passenger side while Max stops in front of Chloe for a moment.

 

“I don’t know if it’s ever gonna get any easier, Chlo.”

 

“It will, it fucking will. We beat Jefferson and we’ll beat this fucking storm. Together forever, whatever the weather, Super Max.” Their clothes are soaked from the downpour, but they embrace without a care in the world. Their kiss shows everyone that they have each other and that’s all that matters.

 

The two trucks pull back onto the road and continue towards the barn. 

 

“You two have something you’d like to tell me, ladies?” It’s rhetorical, but Joyce still wants to hear it come from Max and Chloe’s mouths.

 

Max’s cheeks flush red. “Uh, you saw that?”

 

“Yes, Max. Everyone saw that.”

 

Chloe lets out a smile and meshes her fingers with Max’s. “We’re a thing, Mom.”

 

Joyce smiles while looking out the window. “Well, it’s about time. You two have been inseparable since you were kids. It’s a miracle Max found her way back to us.”

 

“It was a long time coming, Joyce,” Max says with a confident tone.

 

Without warning, a deafening boom of thunder claps and sounds so close that it’s practically on top of them. It’s enough to cause everyone to jump in their seats. The squall picks up again and the truck starts to zigzag as the inertia is at odds with the wind pummeling the side of the vehicle.

 

“Hold on!” Chloe shouts as she tightens her grip on the steering wheel and the stick shift.

 

The debris is flying at the truck lightning fast - out of nowhere, a spear-like splinter of wood blasts through the windshield and impales Chloe in her ribcage. She lets out a gasp of pain, chokes for air, and coughs blood.

 

Time slows to a crawl for Max. On instinct, she rewinds and jerks the wheel herself to veer the tires to the right. The wood rakes the side panel of the truck with a metallic groan.

 

Chloe turns to her, stunned, “Did you just…?” 

 

Max nods and points ahead. “Keep driving.”

 

The sound of something large and metal reverberates as it hits the side of the truck and takes out someone in the pickup bed amid screams of horror. 

 

_ Grab Chloe’s hand. Pause. Rewind. _

 

One of the tires blows after running over scrap unseen on the road and the truck begins to careen out of control - Chloe desperately tries to maintain a straight course, but ultimately fails and nearly collides with a tree. 

 

_ Hold her shoulder. Pause. Rewind. _

 

Chloe knows what’s coming now and jerks the wheel to the right, swerving around the piece of metal she spots in the middle of the road. Dana follows Chloe’s lead and veers to the right as well.

 

There’s a steady flow of blood coming from Max’s face and she’s not sure how long she’ll be able to keep this up before the hemorrhaging kills her. Joyce and Kate are more fixated on the road and the chaos all around them. They don’t notice the fluid running out of her nostrils and the corners of her eyes and mouth.

 

Max can see her vision blurring, the throbbing in the back of her head pounding increasingly harder like a bass drum.

 

_ I can hear my own heartbeat, that can’t be a good sign. _

 

Max starts swaying a little, a feeling that reminds her of when she and Chloe drank wine without permission at the Price residence. Except this time, she’s losing consciousness from blood loss, not inebriated from a bottle of wine.

 

_ Is this it? Am I going to make it to the end of this storm? _

 

Chloe glances at Max and sees her eyes flutter. She says in a low voice, “Stay with me, Caulfield. We’re almost there.”

 

A minute passes and they pull into the dirt lot in front of the barn, passing the ‘No Trespassing’ sign that threatens interlopers. Everyone quickly extricates themselves from the two trucks, gathers the supplies from the pickup beds, and jogs to the barn door entrance. There is yellow tape stretched over the opening, marked ‘Police Line Do Not Cross.’

 

As the others head to the farm building, unnoticed by everyone else, Max starts staggering. Within seconds, she collapses into the mud and muck the maelstrom has created. She lands face first in a sludge-filled puddle. 

 

_ MAAX! _

 

Chloe scoops her up mid-stride in petite arms connected to a body fueled by adrenaline. She jogs the last dozen steps to enter the barn and joins the rest of the group to breach the threshold of the storm shelter stairwell.

 

Time pauses and Max sees a specter that is all too familiar to her now - the doe. She knows she’s about to die. The last reserve of her energy was spent on those few rewinds to save Chloe and the others; now her body is giving up. It’s lost too much blood.

 

_ This is it. I’m about to die. _

 

Max meets eyes with the doe. “Why did you give me these powers?”

 

Max’s own voice responds from the direction of the animal. “To set things right.”

 

“Did I do that?”

 

“Do you think you set things right?”

 

“If Chloe is alive, then yes. That’s all that matters to me.”

 

“Do you want to die?”

 

Max wrestles internally.  _ Would dying undo everything and prevent all this pain and anguish? More than likely not. It would just create more.  _ “No, but I want to make sure these people are safe and Chloe lives for a very long time. I don’t want to live in a world without her.”

 

“Then you’ve made your choice.” The other Max voice booms, “FIGHT. FOR HER.”


	6. The Dark Room

#  The Dark Room

 

The group descends the concrete stairs with fright, unsure of what to expect after stepping under the police tape outside.

 

Zach asks with hesitation, “Is there a reason for the yellow tape up there?”

 

Dana’s arm is linked with his. She sniffles and squeezes his bicep. “Maybe ask that question after we make it through this, ok?”

 

The twelve creep along the dingy hallway that leads up to the heavy steel vault door. The passageway is cracked open, left unlocked from when the police apprehended Mark Jefferson earlier today. They enter cautiously and peer around the space. There’s a dimly lit storage room, populated only with non-perishable food, a commercial-size sink, and a water heater.

 

They proceed to the main space, what Chloe and Max know to be the Dark Room. Much of what Chloe remembers from the previous night has largely been stripped from the place. The camera equipment, the binders, the computer. All presumably removed by law enforcement when they made their raid with David. While the space looks like a shell of its former self, it still retains the memories and the atmosphere for Chloe. Kate was fortunate enough to have been unconscious for her duration here and therefore holds none of the lingering dread that Chloe imagines seizes Max when she is carried into the subterranean storm shelter.

 

As Joyce, Frank, Zach, Juliet, Dana, Daniel, Victoria, Taylor, Brooke, and Kate spread out to claim a place in the shelter, Chloe feels Max go limp in her arms. She sees Max’s eyes roll into the back of her head and small convulsions overtake her.

 

In the trepidation of entering the bunker, no one else has noticed Max’s state until now. Looks of fright overtake everyone’s faces - they gape in shock at the quantity of blood flowing from Max.

 

_ Fuck. No. Fuck no, Max. Not this close to the end. We made it here with everyone safe and sound. You can’t, you just can’t. _

 

“DON’T YOU LEAVE ME, MAX CAULFIELD. DON’T YOU DARE LEAVE ME!” Chloe screams with tears streaming down her face as she cradles the love of her life, her reason for existing. With her ear to Max’s mouth, Chloe feels a last gasp depart from her lips and her chest ceases to rise again.

 

Chloe is paralyzed for a moment. Max can’t possibly be dead. That’s not how this is supposed to end.

Then, she snaps out of it. “You’ve saved my life so many times… now it’s my turn to save yours.” Chloe chokes back tears and concentrates with all of her being on performing CPR. She wipes the muck and blood from Max’s face with a tender hand. Her intensity radiates such an emotional magnitude that it causes everyone to take a step back to let her work. The others hug themselves and hold each other while they watch Chloe fight for Max’s life.

 

One. Two. Three. Four. Chloe pushes down on Max’s chest with her palms kneaded together. She counts to thirty and then exhales two long breaths of air into Max’s mouth.

 

* * *

 

Max slowly cracks open her eyes. She’s groggy like she’s been…

 

_ Drugged?? _ Her eyes fly open and she looks around. She’s back in the Dark Room, the same exact setup she remembers from the last time she was here.

 

_ What? No! How is this possible? Chloe told David this morning and they raided the place. He’s in jail right now! How did he get out? How did I get back here? Did I do some kind of a fucked-up rewind? _

 

Max instinctively tries to stand and the duct tape wrapped around her ankles and wrists immediately responds, forcing her back down. She makes the effort to rewind, ascertaining how far back she can travel. A white-hot lance of agony runs through her temple. Rewinding is out of the question. She can already feel the blood seeping from her orifices.

 

Jefferson steps out of the shadows with his camera poised to photograph.

 

“Max… you’re back. I’ve been waiting. We never really got to finish what we started.” His smooth voice drips with poison and stops. “Why are you bleeding?”

 

Jefferson seizes a loose cloth and swabs away the red streaks on Max’s face. Then, he regains his composure and proceeds to stalk Max by aiming his camera like a predator toying with a wounded animal.

 

_ Snap. Snap. Snap. _

 

The lighting equipment fires off three quick flashes, temporarily making Max’s vision go white.

 

“Fuck. You.”

 

“Goodness, that mouth on you, Max. Have I already lost my opportunity to capture that departure from innocence? I certainly hope not, because we all know what happens to those girls.” Jefferson stares at her knowingly, like he expects a response.

 

_ Am I reliving the other timeline? I need to make sense of this before I figure out what to do. _

 

“What day is it?”

 

This catches Jefferson off guard. “Uh, perhaps I went a little too heavy on the sedatives this time? I need to watch out for that, don’t want another Nathan and Rachel incident!” He chuckles to himself.

 

“Is it Friday?”

 

“Max... Max.” He lets out a breath. “I think there are more pressing matters that you should be concerning yourself with at present. For example, how much time do you think you have left?” Jefferson peers at her inquisitively.

 

“I have all the time I need, asshole.”

 

“You sound pretty sure of yourself there, Max. I admire your confidence. Things certainly are different about you this time around. I can’t quite place my finger on it.” He strokes his stubbled chin.

 

“You have  _ no  _ fucking idea.” Max looks up at him with fire in her eyes.

 

“Hmm.” Jefferson shrugs and examines Max’s restraints. He gives each one a little tug and steps back, raising his camera.

 

_ Snap. Snap. Snap. _ Three more flashes of the lighting system and white spots flood Max’s vision.

 

“How did you get out of jail?” Max asks, point blank.

 

Jefferson removes the camera from his eye. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Friends in high places do wonders for a little incarceration. And my friends have very deep pockets.” He smirks at Max.

 

_ So he  _ did _ get out? Where is everyone else? What happened to everyone from Blackwell? Joyce?  _ Chloe?

 

“Where is everyone else? Victoria? Kate? Chloe?” Max looks in the direction of the storage room with alarm.

 

“You’re looking at the storage room like you expect someone to burst in at any moment. I can assure you, we will be left undisturbed for a very,  _ very _ long time.” Jefferson brandishes his professional smile. “Most of them are quite…  _ indisposed _ at the moment. Victoria just doesn’t have the  _ je ne sais quoi _ that makes my subjects so special. I disposed of her with this morning’s other garbage.” He waves her off, absentmindedly. “Kate? Kate, Kate, Kate.” Jefferson ponders thoughts of her longingly. “She was such a wonderful specimen. A masterpiece, indeed. Such a shame.” He shakes his head and looks down.

 

“Kate survived you! Her strength persisted and -”

 

“- And she threw herself from the top of the Blackwell dormitory. Her ‘strength’ wasn’t enough for a viral video that made her the school slut.”

 

_ What? _ “No. That… can’t be. I talked her down, I saved her. She’s been in the hospital, we got her out…”

 

“Max, you haven’t saved  _ anyone _ , don’t you see? Everything you touch turns to shit. You’re The Red Death incarnate.”

 

_ That can’t be true, it just can’t be. I’ve saved everyone in this timeline. _ Grief overwhelms Max. She hangs her head and begins to cry, large drops staining her jeans. “I tried so hard…”

 

“Trying isn’t enough, Max. Sometimes, you need to will it to happen.”

 

_ Will. Free will.  _ As if a switch flips, Max raises her head. “You’re absolutely right.” With all of her might, she throws herself at the metal cart in front of her. Her head collides with the top, her view of the Dark Room goes sideways and turns to stars as the cart turns over and spills its contents all over the floor.

 

“Max, you bitch! What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!” Max thrashes around, trying to make it as difficult as possible for Jefferson to grab hold of her. 

 

Her vision is blurred, but as she rolls the chair back and forth she spots it.  _ The syringe. _ She kicks and contorts herself to try and mask the subterfuge she’s about to pull off.

 

_ The old Max would have never, ever done this. _ She gathers as much saliva as she thinks she can and then ejects the biggest glob of spit she can manage, aiming it square at Jefferson’s face.

 

“Yeaugh!” He yelps and leans back, swiping at the air. Then he removes his glasses to wipe them aggressively on a cloth. “Are you fucking serious right now, Max? I expected far better from someone like you. This is a children’s tantrum you’re having.” He points at her accusingly.

 

“Get used to it, you piece of shit. I’m not the same timid little wallflower I was before.”

 

While Jefferson is distracted with cleaning his glasses and nearsighted vision, Max seizes the opportunity to shift the chair so that her right hand is next to the fallen syringe. She bends her wrist and with her fingertips, carefully rolls it so that it fits snugly underneath her palm with the needle angled towards her wrist. She secures the plunger in between her middle and ring finger to prevent it from falling out amidst the chaos. Then, she resumes the seesawing action, rocking the chair to and fro.

 

Eventually, she runs out of steam and can’t bring herself to roll the chair around anymore. Jefferson returns from the desk and grabs the chair roughly; he sits her upright, staring directly into her eyes. He scrutinizes the mess she’s created. 

 

“Ugh, my… my pictures! You’ve ruined them!” He holds out angry, open hands, gesturing to the mayhem in front of him. In the turmoil, Max has managed to spill one of the bottles which were improperly sealed. A chemical smell permeates the area and a clear liquid coats the photos that were on the cart.

 

“You and your meddling, you’re always meddling! Your fucking ‘detective’ work is what got you here in the first place and now you’re going to see the result of that snooping around.” Jefferson storms off in a huff, looking for cleaning supplies.

 

Max wastes no time putting the syringe to work. Carefully and methodically, she pokes holes in the duct tape. She can hear the rummaging sound in the other room while Jefferson collects supplies.  _ I figure I have thirty seconds or so to make this work. _

 

Poke, poke, poke. She moves her wrist like a piston, perforating the tape with as many tiny holes as she is capable of making in the short window of time she has. Max jerks her wrist and with each new hole, with each pull, she can feel the restraint giving more and more.

 

_ One more hole. One more tear.  _ Max makes one final stab and yanks. Her hand is free! Shaking, without a second thought, she jabs the needle into the duct tape around her ankle and tugs, rending a large gash in it. She does the same for her left wrist and ankle. Max secures her freedom not a moment too soon. She remains still and waits, following his every move with only her gaze.

 

Jefferson walks back to the photography stage with a handful of cloths and a bottle of cleaning solution.

 

“Max, you are not improving your situation here by lashing out. You are supposed to be my piece de resistance - the culmination of years of blood, sweat, and tears to find the perfect subject for expressing my grand vision.” Jefferson sprinkles some solution on the floor and scrubs the concrete. “I have gone through so many failures, so many pretentious models, so many wastes of time. Between you and Kate, I feel like the zenith is fast approaching.” The wet slap of a towel rings in the bucket. “But, as we both know, Kate is very much a memory in the hearts of those dearest to her.” As an afterthought, he adds, “She’s also a very popular web URL, from what I hear.” He snickers. “Which means I’m down to my last chance with you. You’re my last hope to realize that flawless instant in the transformation from purity to contamination. I can see your aura and how it burns so brightly. I’m dying to capture it slowly consuming you with darkness.”

 

Preoccupied with his own sermon, Jefferson becomes inattentive to Max’s condition. She recognizes his distraction and seizes her chance.

 

_ I said to myself in another timeline that I would do something with that camera of yours. _

 

With one forceful push, Max leaps from the chair, tearing the last vestiges of the duct tape apart and takes a wide stride to the camera sitting on a tripod in front of her. In one swift motion, she rips it from the stand and swings around to face Jefferson.

 

“This is for everyone you’ve ever hurt, you bastard!”

 

Max takes a baseball-style pitch with the Nikon firmly clenched in her hand and extends her arm with every ounce of strength her body can muster. As Jefferson wheels around to face her with a dumbfounded look, the camera connects with his face and sends fragments of glass and pieces of metal airborne. A spray of blood erupts from his mouth and nose as he clings to his face and screams out a primal sound.

 

“I still remember your number one rule, Jefferson: ‘Always take the shot.’” Max stares daggers at the prone photographer.

 

With Jefferson writhing on the floor in excruciating pain, Max pulls a packaged syringe off the wet floor, unwraps it, and pushes the needle into one of the vials. She pulls the plunger, wields it in a stabbing position, and jabs it into the side of his neck with no remorse. She pushes down and watches the drug take effect, coursing through his body.

 

His eyes flutter. “You f-fucking b… bitch. H-how could you? My… masterpiece.” He falls limp, blood streaming from his face freely, pooling on the floor.

 

Max puts her fingers to her temple. Something feels strange.  _ Did I get drugged again? _ Her face starts gushing red and she collapses. Her vision goes black.

 

* * *

 

Twenty-nine.  _ Thirty _ ! Two rushes of air fill Max’s lungs and she sits bolt upright, coughing blood. She is wracked with spasms, but Chloe holds her tightly, rocking her back and forth.

 

Eyes full of tears, Chloe speaks between sobs. “You… came back… to me, Max! You really… came back to me!”

 

Joyce tends to Max’s face with a damp cloth, wiping off the gore. She whispers with a small smile, “Welcome back, Max. We thought we’d lost you there, for a minute.”

 

The others make themselves busy watching over Warren and ready medical supplies. A wave of revelry washes over the group as people hug, shake hands, and take turns praising Chloe’s relentlessness in the face of astronomical odds.

 

* * *

 

The maelstrom abates, as suddenly as it had once appeared. Several people maintain a lookout from the barn, having reached emergency services as soon as the wind dies down. Within ten minutes, the wailing sirens can be heard in the distance, racing towards the scene.

 

An Arcadia Bay ambulance and fire truck splash through the mire at the front of the barn and a small group of paramedics and firefighters descend upon the Dark Room setting with several backboards and a variety of equipment. One paramedic promptly connects Max to a blood bag and begins a series of tests to check her vital signs. Chloe keeps her hand linked with Max’s the entire time.

 

Frank receives medical attention for the cuts on his face and a number of other members receive treatment for the cuts and bruises they’ve received braving the weather on the journey here. 

 

* * *

 

Max awakens to a slumbering Chloe, slumped in an uncomfortable looking chair right next to her hospital bed. There’s an IV hooked up and as Max moves around a little, she feels some pain behind her ear. She reaches out to feel it and draws her fingers back quickly. There are staples in her head! 

 

_ Did I have an operation? _ Anxiety sets in.  _ Did I almost die? _

 

Looking around at the room’s muted colors, her eyes rest on Chloe.  _ My reason for living. I made it. Chloe made it. I beat Jefferson and everyone is safe. Fuck that storm. I beat it, too. _

 

The door creaks open with Joyce carrying a tray of coffees and a bag of fast food. She stops at the doorway and locks eyes with Max.

 

“You’re awake. How are you feeling, Max?”

 

“A lot better than before. Did I… have an operation or something?”

 

“Yes, it was an emergency. The paramedics who were examining you found some strange vital signs and when the doctor looked you over more thoroughly, they found a pretty serious brain bleed. They took care of it and you’re expected to make a full recovery.” Joyce sighs and relaxes her posture. “Chloe has been at your side the  _ entire  _ time. I almost couldn’t get her to use the bathroom when she had to go.” Joyce snickered. “She was about to use one of those plastic bottles they give bedridden patients until I convinced her that you would be just fine for a couple of minutes.” She contemplates, “You two really are something special, you know that?”

 

Max nods with glassy eyes. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Chloe. I owe her my life.”

 

“From what I understand, this makes the two of you pretty even. Chloe tells me you’ve been doing quite a bit of your own life-saving and the other day I saw first hand what you’re capable of.” Joyce beams with pride.

 

Max, never one to miss a self-deprecating moment, replies, “I couldn’t have done it without everyone else’s help, Joyce.”

 

Joyce grins. “I think just this one time you’re allowed to take the credit, Max. You’re the one who warned everyone, you made some pretty heroic efforts to convince people. I think a lot of people would have died if it weren’t for you.”

 

Echoes of Jefferson’s words ring in Max’s mind: “Max, you haven’t saved  _ anyone _ , don’t you see? Everything you touch turns to shit. You’re The Red Death incarnate.”

 

Max shakes her head to clear her mind. “You’re right, Joyce, you’re absolutely right. I had a chance to make things right and I took it. Chloe’s safe, you’re safe. My friends are safe. That’s all I sought to accomplish.”

 

Max’s wording leaves a strange impression in Joyce’s mind, but she dismisses it. “You’re a hero I don’t know how many times over now, Max. I hope the city gives you a damned medal.” Joyce looks pleased with herself.

 

Chloe begins to stir. “Whuh…? Max! You’re awake!” Chloe flies out of her chair to kneel next to Max’s bed, cupping Max’s hand in hers. Tears fall from Chloe’s eyes as she brings Max’s hand to her forehead. “We did it, Max. We did it.” She glows with relief.

 

“ _ You _ did it, Chlo. You saved me.” 

 

“Are we keeping score? How many people did  _ you _ save? How many times did you save me?”

 

Joyce interjects, “I think I’ll take a walk. Max, your parents hopped on the first flight they could find and should be here soon.”

 

Max smiles at Joyce. “Thank you for everything.”

 

As soon as the door closes, Chloe showers Max with kisses. “I was trying so hard to hold it in in front of her…”

 

“She already knows, dude.”

 

“Yeah, but PDA in front of Mom… I have to think that one over. Gross her out for the hell of it? Decisions, decisions.” 

 

“We have all the time in the world to think that one over.” Max can feel the love emanating from both of them. 

 

Chloe gets serious for a moment. “I honestly thought I lost you back there, Maxwell.” Max blushes at the pet name.  “Your powers… they nearly fucking killed you.” She looks deep into Max’s eyes.

 

“I had to take the chance, I wasn’t about to let you die again. I tried so hard to save everyone, I wasn’t going to let that slip by, either.”

 

“I know, but I just couldn’t bear the thought of being without you. I was so close to giving up and it’s like you knew… you came back to me, right at that moment.” Chloe sniffles.

 

“It’s like you said when we were at the truck, in the rain. ‘Together forever, whatever the weather.’” Max sits up and caresses Chloe’s cheek, giving her a long, deep kiss.

 

Chirping outside the open window catches Max’s attention and she looks over. She spots the blue butterfly on the windowsill, gently flapping its wings. 


End file.
